Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS
by Liquid
Summary: Three months after surviving Raccoon City, Claire Redfield is captured by Umbrella, and imprisoned on Rockfort Island, a place ruled by the sadistic Alfred Ashford. Provided an opportunity to escape when unknown forces attack, Claire and her fellow prisoners must flee for their lives while a familiar outbreak scenario unfolds... but there are worse things out there than zombies.
1. Chapter 1 Prisoner 833225

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter One: Prisoner #833225**

_Sometimes I don't know why I even bother writing anything in this book, since nothing ever changes in this place, and I would honestly prefer not to remember most of the significant events that take place. I've also completely lost track of what day it is, although I did figure out a way to count the weeks, since all of us prisoners here are allowed to have a shower once a week, and I just had my eleventh one since arriving. Just about three months, so I guess it's maybe December now? I have been able to see my breath lately, so it could be, and the shower water has been so cold that one of the others had to be taken away for hypothermia._

_They kept him in there, you know… I could hear him begging to be let out, but the guards just kept laughing and hitting him every time he tried to get out from under the freezing stream until he just… he just collapsed. This happened again and again, although not everyone who was tortured like this got sick from it, but when my turn was coming up, one of the guards said that maybe he could be persuaded to let me use the heated shower in the guardhouse, if… if I would do a certain favor for him. My self-respect was one of the first things they took from me here, and I would rather be ashamed of myself than lose my life, but… but at least it felt good to have a warm shower._

_Rockfort Island is not a good place, especially for an attractive woman with blonde hair, not that anyone who would give a damn is ever likely to read this journal. Anyway, if its December now, then that mean's I have been here for just about three months… wow, three months since my whole life turned into a poorly written episode of The Twilight Zone. I wasn't always here, you know… in fact, my life was completely normal until my twenty third birthday, when I had finally saved up enough money to move out of my parents' home, riding off on my motorcycle to make it big in the big city._

_Okay, Raccoon City wasn't exactly big, and going to Community College wasn't exactly a glamorous success story, but instead of realizing my dreams upon arrival, I was flung headfirst into what I told myself for a long time was a nightmare. It wasn't though; the dead were walking the ruined streets of that necropolis, and somehow I managed to ride my motorcycle right into the deepest part of it. I would have died pretty quickly if not for being rescued by a man named Tobias Liquid, who was the Lieutenant in charge of the RPD's Homicide Division, and one of the department's last survivors._

_Together we fought our way through the zombie-infested streets, locating other survivors along the way, and discovering that Tobias was heavily infected with a manufactured bio-weapon called the T-Virus. It was different for him though; a scientist from the Umbrella Corporation, who had apparently made the virus, said that because of his exposure to something called P-Epsilon gas, the Lieutenant was actually able to consume large amounts of the virus, with his body somehow able to metabolize the cells into temporary burst of power that looked almost superhuman._

_That scientist was killed before she could explain it further, as was just about everyone else the two of us encountered that night, all thanks to some kind of Special Forces unit from Umbrella. Instead of killing us, they put us in chains, forcing me and Tobias onto separate helicopters, mine which brought me to this place, while the Lieutenant… I have no idea where he is exactly. What I do know is that the people here are keeping me alive to ensure his cooperation with some kind of experiment at the place Tobias is being held, and they prove it with a brief video-conference call once a month._

_Don't get me wrong, there is a strong difference between the words alive and safe, with the second one not applying to me since the moment I arrived. It must be humiliating on its own for a prisoner to have to remove their clothes in front of everyone, and change into a cheaply made orange prison jumpsuit, but that goes double for a woman, when she has to do that while the guards are whistling and cat-calling her. Once I was dressed, I was taken to my cell, and there the guards beat the hell out of my legs with their batons to show me that there was no sex-discrimination here._

_They left me there all night, lying on the stone floor of my cell, unable to walk… not that I needed to go very far in order to pass out. My cell is nothing but a bare room with concrete walls, some bars where the door is, and a toilet along with… nothing else at all. Wasn't asleep very long, though, before the first time I heard the screams, and although it was muffled since they were coming from outside the building, the owner of the voice sounded so agonized and scared that I couldn't help crying… which the guards thought was hilarious for some reason._

_After a few days my legs got better to the point where I was able to get up on my own, not that I was moving very fast, and this was also the first time that I was fed since my arrival… so I was starving to the point of drooling when I saw him carrying a plate of what they fed the prisoners. He knew that I was desperate and hungry, but instead of feeding me like a decent human being, he wasted time by telling me how lucky I was to be sequestered in this place instead of in the general population, and how my status as a Control Hold, which I gather is a fancy term for Hostage, kept me safe from a lot of things done to the others._

_I didn't know what was happening to the other prisoners, and at the moment I didn't care, I just needed food… which he said he was more than happy to let me have, if only I would do a certain favor for him. It's strange… I remember going through the hell of Raccoon City with Tobias, and thinking to myself that the monsters there were the worst things in the world… but I was wrong. As horrific as they were, at least the monsters were honest about what they were… but Human Beings could be so much worse._

_If you really feel like it, you can judge me for doing what the guard wanted, but all I could think about after four days without eating was, well… eating. Don't worry, I felt plenty ashamed of myself later on, but at least I got to eat, not that the food was anything special. Every day the prisoners here are fed some kind of whitish colored slop that looks like stale mashed potatoes, and tastes like it was burnt even though it's cold and uncooked. You get used to it after a while, so long as you close your eyes and hold your nose while eating it, but… but one thing I haven't gotten used to is the screams._

_Seriously, it's like every night they pick one of the prisoners at random, age and gender not mattering much, and just torture the living daylights out of them for some reason. Every other week or so another helicopter arrives on the island, usually carrying supplies or new prisoners, and since my cell in in the building closest to the landing pad, I get to hear every terrible sound that comes from the in-processing of new inmates. Sometimes they shoot one to scare the others into obedience, or sometimes… sometimes they get taken to see Sir Alfred Ashford, the Commander of Rockfort Island._

_I met him about a week after I arrived, and between his squeaky voice and attitude of being superior to everyone, the man is a complete weirdo. He once had me put on a very expensive formal dress so that it could be altered for his sister, since apparently she and I are about the same build… never actually seen her, but apparently she liked the dress… and then Alfred had me whipped so that I would remember my place. I have to see him every month during the video-conference call that proves I'm still alive, and thankfully he doesn't pay much attention to me, but I heard that's because he plays for the other team, if you get my meaning._

_The guards have been heard talking about how Alfred has had young men taken somewhere late at night, especially the prettier looking ones; now it could be for his sister, but not likely based on the guy's whole personality, and I'm a sequestered prisoner, so it's not like I can just go and ask those young men myself. I thought about asking one of the guards, but then he might just as well want another favor in exchange for information, so I decided to just keep to myself… well, that's not really possible ever since they brought in the new girl a couple hours ago._

_I really must be losing my mind; here I am rambling off my whole life story, completely forgetting to write down that I was given a cellmate from the new arrivals that came in on the latest helicopter. Like always the whistling and cat-calling was heard as she changed into her jumpsuit, along with really tight fitting security collar that I almost forgot to mention, and I don't know what this girl did to make everyone so mad, but they were being incredibly rough on her while bringing her in._

_She must have been a biter, since there was a black bag over her head, muffling the sounds of her screams when they gave her legs the same workout that I had been given, but with the added bonus of ripping the bag off her face just in time for her lip to be split open when one of the baton's was brought across her mouth. I had been ordered to be on my knees, facing the other wall with my hands flat against the stone, so I couldn't see this beating… not that I wanted to… and then they told me that it was my job to make sure she remembers her identification number and teach her how things work here._

_Not stopping with her legs, the guards had beaten her arms and body too, leaving the young woman crying and coughing on the stone floor, unable to even use her hands, probably because of how tightly the handcuffs had been on, judging by the deep marks on her wrists. Her reddish brown hair was all down in her face, with her blue eyes kind of swimming around a bit from dizziness and agony, but at least she was alive. Unfortunately for Prisoner #WKD4496, she was really pretty, as well, meaning that she was gonna have a bad time in this place. She was able to tell me her name before passing out, though… Claire Redfield._

_After hearing nothing but my prison numbers for so long, it was a strange feeling to hear a real name being spoken, not that Claire was going to be able to use it any more often than I'm able to use mine. I do have one, by the way, and it's not Prisoner #833225… its Elza Walker._


	2. Chapter 2 Incident Report

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Two: Incident Report**

It was a strange feeling for Rodrigo Raval to be back on Rockfort Island, the place where his people had called home for dozens of generations before the whole island was sold to the Umbrella Corporation when he was a teenager. The village had received quite a large sum of money in exchange for their homeland, however once that sum was divided up amongst all of the people, there really wasn't enough to live off of, so when the people went their separate ways, Rodrigo took the first opportunity that came up… security work for that same corporation.

Given simple guard duties at first, he found that he was actually pretty good at this kind of job, as well as the larger and more complicated ones that followed over the years, until he found himself as the Captain of all Security Operations for Umbrella's Paris Branch. Now, _this_ was a sweet gig, he thought in the two years that had passed since getting what was probably the highest promotion available; not only was he stationed in _Paris_, with a position that paid a yearly salary that was more than his people had gotten for the sale of the island, but nothing bad ever happened at the branch headquarters of a major city.

At least, that was until a _very_ serious incident occurred, and that incident was why the Captain currently found himself standing on the rocky terrain of his former home. After being assigned by the Board of Directors to personally transport the terrorist who had caused the incident in the first place, Rodrigo had overseen her in-processing into the detention facility, and then spent a restless night in the guardhouse before his scheduled meeting with the Base Commander this morning.

Finishing his coffee while watching through the chain-link fence as the orange jumpsuit wearing prisoners were assembled outside for roll-call, the Captain scoffed at the fact that the most dangerous prisoners didn't have to stand outside in the cold for such procedures. No, they got to stay inside their cells in the sequestered area, when they should have been being horse-whipped as a warning to the others not to follow their example. He knew it was wrong to think like that, but the girl in question had caused so much damage to Paris headquarters, and some of his best men had been lost during her capture.

Turning away from the fence, and returning to the guardhouse, the Captain brushed his teeth and showered so that he would at least be halfway presentable for his meeting. Once cleaned up and dressed, he picked up the small metal attaché case that he had brought along, which contained the reports and security footage of the incident, and before he knew it, Rodrigo was sitting in the waiting room of the administration building, waiting for the secretary to announce him. Huh… this building looked more like an old castle than an administration complex.

He had heard that Rockfort Island had been acquired for dual-purposes, that of not only a detention facility, but also as a kind of training camp for Umbrella to train their Special Forces units, which probably explained why everything had such a Spartan design. Well, there were a few decorative portraits on the walls, but that was about it… oh, the secretary was motioning for him to enter the Commander's office. Clearing his throat, and standing up straight before doing so, the Captain made sure to maintain his professionalism and bearing at all times… after all, the man in charge here was also the head of one of Umbrella's founding families.

"Sir Alfred, I'm Captain Rodrigo Raval from the Paris Branch." He said, giving a polite bow. "Here to transfer custody and to brief you on the incident involving Prisoner #WKD4496, Claire Redfield."

"Ah yes, come in, Captain." The pale-skinned man behind the desk replied in a voice that was… a lot higher pitch than expected. "I _heard_ that you caught a _nasty_ little troublemaker in the city of lights… Lady Alexia was eager to hear the story as well, but sadly… my sister is unable to join us this morning."

Well, that was too bad, the Captain thought, since he had heard that the reclusive Alexia Ashford was quite fetching… anyhow, onto the business at hand. It was a little hard to concentrate on his briefing, since the Base Commander was actually kind of… disturbing to look at; short blonde hair slicked back, his frame so slender built that he almost looked sickly, and the formal red military jacket that he wore was just… ridiculous, especially since Alfred didn't seem like the type to have actually earned the medals he was wearing.

"Ten days ago, Umbrella's Paris headquarters was infiltrated by a known terrorist." Rodrigo began, opening a folder to give him the report. "Claire Redfield has been on the company's most wanted list ever since her involvement in the destruction of a major scientific research center during the Raccoon City outbreak back in September."

"This _little girl_ broke into your headquarters all by herself?" Sir Alfred asked, looking at her photograph. "Heh, they never _look_ very dangerous, do they, Captain? Oh, and please refrain from mentioning Raccoon City… my sister was quite fond of the place, and I haven't broken the news."

Fair enough, so the Captain decided not to mention that part again, and instead went on to explain that Claire's target was the facility's computer database, which she might have actually gotten too if not for accidently tripping an alarm sensor. Now, normally he would have just had her confined on site, but given how much damage she caused, along with the fact that she was the sister of Chris Redfield, from the now infamous STARS unit that destroyed the Spencer Estate laboratory, the Board of Directors thought it was best to place her in maximum security.

"Oh, you've got a video." The Commander said happily, grabbing for the tape that was in the case. "I can't wait to see such a dangerous little girl in action."

He laughed a little while putting it in the VCR slot next to the many security monitors on the wall behind his oversize desk… it was an awful laugh, even more high pitch and shrill, making Rodrigo's head hurt a little to listen to. Thankfully the laughter stopped once the video started playing; showing the black and white image of Claire Redfield running down the main corridor of Paris headquarters. The image kept changing as she passed each camera, showing that some armored security guards were chasing her, although the weight of their armor and weapons allowed her to stay well ahead…. At least until everyone was stopped by in intense white light that was now shining in through the window.

"The helicopter wasn't my idea, Sir." Rodrigo explained as Claire held up her hand to block the light. "But my Paris Director insisted, so there was no choice."

Suddenly the window and a large section of the wall were pulverized when the helicopter's guns opened fire, hitting several of the guards in the process, but missing the young woman, who had jumped out of the way. More and more of the walls, floor, and ceiling were destroyed as the large caliber bullets tore into the building, but Claire was able to stay just ahead of her pursuer by sprinting with all her strength, until entering a stairway where the helicopter lost her.

The cameras didn't, though, following her as she ran down the stairs, passing the ground floor, and heading into the sub-basement where a bunch of signs that read Danger Flammable Substances were on the walls. Rodrigo explained that he had ordered his men to cut her off from the other side, being that her plan was probably to try and escape through the sewers, and they did just that, forming a line across the room, and shining their rifle-mounted flashlights in her face just as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"What the hell just happened?" Sir Alfred asked after seeing what transpired next. "No, we need to go back… I need to see that again."

Faced with superior numbers and completely outgunned, the young woman naturally surrendered, putting up her hands as the guards very slowly closed in, and letting the 9mm pistol she was holding fall from her grip. But then it happened, the part where the Commander insisted on rewinding the tape to watch again... and then again after that as if his mind still couldn't accept what he had just seen. After letting go of the pistol, Claire somehow managed to not only drop down to the floor and catch the weapon before it landed, but then she fired one shot, and all of the guards were thrown forward by a massive explosion from behind.

"Damage to the area was extensive, Sir." The Captain explained as the video showed the young woman slowly pulling herself to her feet, having been knocked down by the explosion herself. "But I figure she must have hit one of the flammable storage drums… three men dead… six severely wounded."

Claire, on the other hand, was only dazed a little because she was farther away from the blast, and was just starting to head back up the stairs, when the video showed Rodrigo himself coming down right in front of her. At the same time they aimed their pistols at each other, with the Captain jumping a little when she pulled the trigger, only to have her weapon click empty… now, Rodrigo wasn't usually an overly violent man, but this girl had just gotten a bunch of his men killed, and tried to kill him, too… so he was a little angry when he struck her across the head with his pistol.

Two more times he hit her with it, before bringing up his leg and booting her in the chest so that she fell down the last three stairs onto her back. She tried to roll over and get away, but the Captain stopped her by dropping his knee down onto her back, and then very painfully twisting her wrists back in order to handcuff her. Once restrained, he forced her to stand back up, grabbing her wrists with one hand, her hair with the other, and then slamming his knee into her stomach to make her bend over as he made her go back up the stairs.

"All of the prisoner's in-processing was completed late last night, Sir." Rodrigo continued after the tape ended. "I've placed her in a cell with prisoner, uh… 833225, Elza Walker, and I'll be returning to Paris first thing tomorrow morning."

"Very efficient, Captain, very efficient, indeed." Sir Alfred replied as they both stood up. "I'm sure that your little terrorist will fit in nicely here… since I have you for today, I need both Claire and Elza brought to the office; I have an appointment with her, but I want to meet the new girl as well."

The Captain nodded, bowing again before leaving the office, and getting mixed feelings once again as he headed back toward the prison. On one hand he was glad to be away from the Base Commander, since something about the guy really freaked him out, but he was also feeling a little bad about how roughly he had treated the prisoner. Oh, well, she shouldn't have broken into an Umbrella facility and killed those guards, because she wouldn't be there if she hadn't. Yeah, it was her own fault, and after tomorrow, he would never have to see Claire Redfield ever again.


	3. Chapter 3 Cellmates

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Three: Cellmates**

Claire wasn't sure how much time had passed since being taken off the helicopter and forced into that prison cell, nor how much time had passed since her break in at the Paris facility for that matter, mostly because of the black bag that had been kept over her head during transport as well as most of her interrogations. There were no windows inside the cell itself, and the hallway outside was darkened, too, as if meant to kept the prisoners inside from having any contact at all with the outside world, but at least he young woman wasn't alone anymore.

She had only known this Elza Walker person since arrival, but so far the blonde woman had been a Godsend, especially with Claire not being able to do very much at all thanks to that beating the guards had given her. It wasn't like the young woman had never been hurt before, since she had gotten into fights a lot as a kid, and then there was everything that had been inflicted on her during Raccoon City, but the way Umbrella's security men had treated her was just… it was just more than any one person could have handled.

It was understandable for them to have been a bit rough with her during the arrest, but it got even worse once the young woman had been handcuffed to that chair in the interrogation room. The Captain of the group had left to make the report to his superiors, but apparently his men weren't too happy about what happened to their comrades, causing one of them to pull her head back by her hair, and making Claire scream while they sprayed Mace into her eyes. That wasn't the worst of it… those parts she didn't want to remember, but it all boiled down to her being in pretty sorry shape on the floor of that cell.

At first just sitting up was nearly impossible, with her crying out loudly while Elza helped her, and it didn't look like the guards had any intention of feeding her, but thankfully the blonde woman shared the small amount of food and water that she was given. The odd whitish substance somehow tasted burnt even though it wasn't cooked, but it was better than starving, especially since it had been a while since her last meal… and the water had such a strong chemical taste that the young woman nearly vomited it back up.

"Yeah, you'll get used to it eventually." Elza said, laughing a bit while sitting up against the wall next to her. "So, how'd you end up here, anyway? I got grabbed by these assholes back in Raccoon City… you'd think that a zombie outbreak would be enough problems for some people, but no… me and Lieutenant Liquid just couldn't catch a break."

"You… you were in Raccoon City, too?" Claire asked, coughing a little, and then closing her eyes from the resulting headache. "I ended up getting out through the tunnels underneath the police station… actually got caught in Paris, while I was looking for my brother… hey, did you say Liquid, like as in… Tobias Liquid?"

The blonde woman quickly verified that they were talking about the same man, but although the young woman agreed with her about what a good detective he was, suddenly it seemed like maybe they were describing different people, after all, once Elza began to talk about what a great man Tobias was. It had been a couple years since she had seen him, but Claire's most prominent memory about the Lieutenant was when he had arrested her for _defacing city property_ when she was fifteen, and then locked her brother in a holding cell for the weekend, so he couldn't stop the young woman from participating in the _Scared Straight_ program.

Sure, Claire had stopped causing trouble after that, mostly because a couple of the more butch-looking inmates at the _Arklay County Jail_ had forced her to scrub a toilet with her bare hands. It was also because Jill Valentine's father had been one of the inmates to share their stories at the end, making her not want to end up there… yeah, about that. Unable to stop herself from laughing after she realized the irony of herself ending up in jail anyway, Claire started coughing again, this time so hard and hoarsely that she spit up some blood.

"Claire, it's all right, you have to try and relax." The blonde woman said, holding her up when she started to fall over again. "Jesus, they worked you over good… what did you do to make these people so mad anyway?"

It wasn't like they were short on time, so the young woman leaned on Elza to help get her breathing back under control, while telling her all about what had happened both in Raccoon City and in Paris; not sparing any details about what happened with Leon and Sherry, the awful things Brian Irons was going to do to her, and even her complete lack of success in locating her long lost brother. In return, the blonde woman described her own experiences in Raccoon City, as well as warning Claire what was in store for her in this place… but you know, it turns out that the two of them had a lot in common.

"And then they put us on different helicopters, and I was brought here." Elza said, finishing her own story. "They said they're keeping me alive so Tobias will cooperate with their experiments at… wherever he is. They want to recreate the circumstances that made Tobias the way he is, but it hasn't worked so far."

Good God, the young woman thought after hearing everything that her blonde cellmate had to say, she thought that Umbrella couldn't have had any more surprises after the destruction of Raccoon City, but after hearing about the current state of Tobias Liquid as well as the existence of several more of these kind of illegal research laboratories around the world, just… just how far did the conspiracies of the company go? Wasn't it enough for them to have caused the deaths of over a hundred thousand people after the T-Virus got out?

Suddenly there was a metallic _screech_ as a door was heard being pulled open, and it must have been daytime, because sunlight was now flooding the hallway outside the holding cells as a small group of armed guards walked into the building. There were five of them, and then it took Claire's eyes a moment to readjust to the darkness once the door was allowed to close again, meaning that they were right in front of the cell door as soon as she could see them.

"On your knees, both of you, face away." The same Captain who had captured her in Paris ordered. "Hands behind your heads, interlock your fingers, and cross your feet at the ankles."

Because of how sore and stiff she was still feeling, the young woman needed Elza to help her into the right position, while Rodrigo explained that it was time for _3225's_ monthly conference call. He also added that it was time for _4496_, which took Claire a second to remember was the end of her own identification number, to meet the Commander of the Base. As soon as the two prisoners were in the desired position, one of the guards unlocked the cell door, allowing them to come in and very roughly twist their arms behind their back so that they could be handcuffed again.

As if being shackled and locked inside a cage all day like an animal wasn't bad enough, next came those awful black bags that were pulled down over the young woman's head and then tightened at the next just enough to make it uncomfortable. Chris had told her that the Air Force did something similar to prisoners of war while they were being moved around so that they couldn't learn anything about the layout of the base, since it was impossible to see anything or hardly even breathe through the bags… but for Claire it was more frightening than anything.

"All right, we're ready to move." One of the guards reported once the bag was tightened. "Let's go, ladies."

Two of the guards grabbed the young woman's arms to pull her to her feet, making sure to grope certain parts of her body a lot more than others during the process, but there wasn't a lot that Claire could do about that while she was being forced to walk out of the cell. Her legs were still too sore for her to walk properly as well, meaning that the guards had to mostly hold her up, and then there was that same screech of the door opening, before the air suddenly got a lot colder… they must have gone outside.

Looking around inside the bag, even though she already knew there was nothing to see, the young woman could feel the ground underneath her feet transitioning from pavement to gravel and back again, but then her shoe got hooked on something. Without any way to stop herself, Claire tripped and fell forward, with the guards of course letting go of her arms so that she could hit the ground full force, and then there was the laughter.

"Get the prisoner up, and cut the horseshit!" Rodrigo's voice ordered, silencing them. "Or do you want Sir Alfred to know that your little games are why he has to sit there and wait longer?"

Apparently they didn't want that, so Claire was once again pulled to her feet, moving forward until the next sound she heard was that of a loud buzzer going off. Something was rolling now, along with chains shaking… a gate maybe? A dog was heard barking right next to her, causing the young woman to jump a little when she felt its paws trying to jump on her, but again the guards just left as they moved forward again, with the gate closing again behind them shortly after.

New material underneath her feet now, feeling more like blacktop with its partially textured surface, so… a road? It was so hard to tell where she and Elza were being taken, especially with how the freezing wind seemed to go right through her thin jumpsuit as if it wasn't even there. Up some stairs now, through a better maintained door judging by how the hinges sounded, and then it was actually… warm. She must have been taken into a building for important people, because all around Claire could hear the sounds of typing on keyboards, shoes that sounded like… high heels moving across tile floor, and there was actually a heater.

Taken up one more staircase, and across a carpeted floor, the young woman was suddenly pushed back down to her knees, before the bag was ripped off her head, forcing her to close her eyes and look away from the bright light that now assaulted her senses. There was someone there, too… a blurry man with pale skin, and a bright red jacket, getting up and walking around the desk he was sitting at in order to come over and get a closer look at the prisoners, she supposed. As weird as this guy looked, he must have had a girlfriend or something, because Claire could suddenly smell expensive women's perfume when he got close, and she immediately wished he hadn't done so once his face came into focus.

"Ah, you must be our new resident… _Claire Redfield_." He said with a voice so high pitched that it hurt her ears. "Welcome to Rockfort Island."


	4. Chapter 4 Daylight

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Four: Daylight**

For a moment after seeing the man in front of her, Claire couldn't help but wonder if he was for real, or if this was some kind of sick joke. I mean, with his pale skin, red uniform, and high pitch voice, he looked more like a recurring character on _Pee-Wee's Playhouse_ than someone who would have such a grandiose office at a secret Umbrella base. However, it turns out that this wasn't a joke at all; this squeaky blond man next introduced himself as _Sir_ Alfred Ashford, head of the illustrious _Ashford Family_, and _Commander_ of the Rockfort Island Facility… standing there with his hands on his hips as if waiting for her to be impressed.

"So, you're the man in charge around here then?" The young woman asked, in no mood to stroke his ego after the way she had been treated. "You must be one of Umbrella's _low-level_ Officers if you're in command of a _backwater_ place like this."

"How _dare_ you?!" He squeaked in response, backhanding her across the face almost hard enough to make her lose balance. "I heard you're a troublemaker… ooh, if it wasn't time for the video conference… Captain, get her out of the way; we'll teach her some respect _after_ our business is concluded."

Acting on Sir Alfred's orders, Rodrigo grabbed the young woman by the hair, using it to pull her to her feet so hard that she cried out, only to be forced over to the side of the room while Elza was brought in front of the desk. There was some talk about the secretary checking the transmission so that the video feed could start, but Claire didn't hear the rest; startled to the point of her mouth running dry when the Captain whispered to her that if she _ever_ spoke to the Commander like that again, he was going to empty his stun-gun's _entire_ battery into her tongue.

Suddenly the security monitors went to static for a few seconds, before another image appeared across all of them as if the individual monitors were a solid screen that showed a laboratory similar to the one the young woman had seen underneath Raccoon City. Some scientists in white coats were checking the machines that lined the walls, while two people in orange prison jumpsuits were in view. One of them was a gorgeous woman with black hair who was in the far background in some kind of transparent holding cell… and the other one… the man standing next to some kind of operating table… she knew.

"_Ah, good morning, Sir Aflred_." The scientist closest to the camera said with a polite bow. "_Greetings from facility Sheena Beta I; today we invite you to witness a new breakthrough in Anti-BOW research… and since Prisoner 833225 is clearly in good health, there is no reason for Subject P-001 to object to these proceedings_."

"_Are you all right, Elza_?" The man next to the table asked, looking into the camera with eyes that were oddly… yellow. "_Have they been treating you okay_?"

"Yes, Tobias, I'm okay." The blonde woman lied. "I'm… okay."

The man in the orange jumpsuit was none other than Tobias Liquid, just like Elza had said… he looked so much different than the detective Claire had known back in Raccoon City, but it was definitely him, and from the look on his face he could tell that the blonde woman wasn't telling the truth. At that moment the scientist ordered him to get onto the table if he wanted Elza to stay in her current condition, so Tobias laid down on the table, only to have a set of metal clamps lock around his wrists, ankles, neck, and waist.

"_Up until now we have tried to replicate the unique circumstances that led to the creation of P-001_." The scientist explained, opening a small freezer. "_However, each attempt has resulted in the death of the subjects, and therefore we have decided to scrap the project completely… Sir Alfred, distinguished colleagues… I give you Daylight_."

From the freezer he produced a large syringe of a purplish chemical, which he described as a general purpose T-Virus vaccine that was originally developed at Raccoon City General Hospital. Basically, the purpose of today's experiment was to inject the entire dose of Daylight into the former RPD Lieutenant, and observe the effects. The Commander seemed intrigued, but Elza started to panic; screaming out that someone named _Dr. Lo_ had told her that Tobias couldn't have any kind of antiviral agents, but she was quickly silenced by the guards.

"_Now, if there are no more interruptions_." The scientist said, setting the syringe down on the table. "_The first step of this procedure is to neutralize any stored reserves of T-Virus that are housed within P-001's body, and for that… we use a standard 9mm pistol_."

_Bang_! Reaching into his pocket, the scientist pulled out a small firearm, chambering a round, and firing a shot right into Tobias's heart, making Claire jump when she saw it. Strangely enough, the wound closed while all of the yellow color was completely drained from the Lieutenant's eyes, and now he gritted his teeth, groaning and crying out in pain. That black haired woman in the containment cell was apparently distressed by this as well, banging on the transparent wall, and yelling something that couldn't be heard while shaking her head no.

"_And with that we have completed stage one_." The scientist reported, the video image going fuzzy for a second as he picked up the syringe. "_Stage two is to simply administer the vaccine, and if all goes well… there won't be a stage three_."

"_Elza, no matter what happens to me, you stay strong_!" Tobias yelled, clearly in pain as the scientist removed the cap form the syringe. "_Don't let these people break you… don't let Umbrella win_!"

With that, the scientist stabbed the syringe into the Lieutenant's neck, pushing the plunger down until the whole cartridge had been emptied, and then Tobias began to shake. The tremors spread out to every corner of his body, and then his skin started to turn pale while he started to bleed from the nose. It sounded like Tobias was trying to say something, but all that came out was a large amount of blood just before he went into a full out seizure. The Lieutenant was now bleeding from the ears and eyes as well, thrashing around wildly as the vaccine did its work.

Meanwhile the black haired woman in the containment cell was freaking out also, screaming silently while punching the glass as hard as she could, ramming her knuckles into the barrier again and again… until it cracked. As soon as this happened, she stopped attacking, instead taking a deep breath, and then blowing into the cracks so that… some kind of black smoke shot out through it into the main lab? Claire didn't understand what was happening, but an alarm started going off, and then the frightened scientists started running away when they saw the black substance traveling through the air.

"_Lockdown! Lockdown!_" The scientist doing the experiment yelled into a wall phone. "_Gillette C-008 has breached containment, I repeat Gillette_…

Suddenly another scientist frantically ran right into him, knocking him right into the camera, and then the image went to static before the connection was lost. Once again Sir Alfred's office was quiet, leaving everyone there, prisoners and their captors alike wondering what in the hell just happened. The Commander said as much a moment later, ordering the secretary to check the connection and then reestablish contact with the Sheena Facility. He did as ordered, tapping the keyboard of his computer to check out the video and satellite circuits, but then having to report that he was unable to reach them for some reason.

"Well, keep trying, you dolt!" Sir Alfred squeaked furiously. "Captain, get these prisoners out of here… no food for either of them!"

Elza got really upset when the guards grabbed her, screaming to know what happened to Tobias, even after her words were muffled by the return of those awful black bags being pulled down over her and Claire's heads. Now grabbed by the arms, and forced out of the office so roughly that she almost lost her balance, Claire was rushed back the way she and the blonde woman had been brought in. The guards were a lot harsher on them this time, though, yanking on her hair so hard that the young woman cried out each time they had to change direction… and received a painful strike with one of their batons any time she ended up falling down.

Eventually, Claire heard the familiar _squeak_ of the prison building, and then the air was stale while only slightly warmer than the air outside, meaning that the two of them were just about to their cell. Something was wrong, though, since right after hearing Elza being pushed into their cage, something hooked around the young woman's feet, making her gasp before falling on her face… and then there was a rapid electrical _ticking_ sound that made her scream as the prongs of a stun-gun were jammed into her lower back.

"You made me look bad in front of Sir Alfred back there, prisoner." Rodrigo's voice said as the pain stopped. "But I have a feeling that your behavior is about to make a radical change, isn't it?"

Before Claire could do or say anything, she was screaming again when the pain resumed, causing every muscle in her body to lock up until she was shaking. The next time it stopped, the agony lingered, making it so that she could barely move, along with drooling when she attempted to say something… the words forgotten when felt hands grabbing her arms in order to lift her up and toss her forward. Landing on her face once again, the young woman felt the handcuffs being removed from her wrists, as well as being able to take a full breath when the bag was removed… but then having to let out another scream when the stun-gun hit her again, this time on the buttocks.

"Like I said, a _complete_ turnaround." The Captain continued, closing the door with a hard _slam_. "Now, I'm only gonna be here for another day or so, but I _promise_ you, prisoner… not everyone on this island is as nice as me."

With that he walked away, and even thought Claire really wanted to say something back to him, she just didn't have the strength to do anything except… well, not really anything at all. Elza was in better shape, so she carefully helped the young woman back up to a sitting position so that they were both against the wall. The blonde woman warned her that Rodrigo was correct, and that as bad as things were in this place, they were even worse if the guards didn't like you… although she _did_ enjoy seeing the look on Sir Alfred's face when she talked back to him.

"Claire, I think they're gonna kill me tonight." Elza whispered, suddenly becoming serious once the door to the building slammed shut again. "Ever since I got here, they told me that I was only alive to make Tobias cooperate with their experiments, and now… now if he's dead from that vaccine…

The young woman was still trying to wrap her head around what had been happening during that video conference with the other facility, but what Claire _did_ understand out of all that chaos was that they didn't know if the Lieutenant was dead or not… or even what was happening. I mean, it was _never_ good when something broke containment at an Umbrella base, but… but she just didn't know what to tell Elza. The situation was pretty grim all around, and only likely to get worse now… but there _had_ to be a way out of here… didn't there?


	5. Chapter 5 The Attack

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Five: The Attack**

Startled awake by what sounded like thunder, only close enough to make the whole building vibrate, Claire realized immediately that something was wrong when she saw that the single bulb light fixture was swinging back and forth as it hung above the cell. More and more cracks of thunder caused the walls to shake, sprinkling dust down onto her and Elza's heads as they looked around the small room, but then a closer noise made the lights flicker, and the young woman realized that it wasn't a storm she was hearing… it was explosions.

She had no idea how long it had been since she and the blonde woman had been dumped back into their cell after the disastrous video conference, since Claire had almost immediately passed out from Rodrigo's stun-gun, and there wasn't exactly a way for them to tell time without any windows on the building. The young woman was hungry, though, both her and Elza's stomachs growling to the point of pain, meaning that at least several hours must have passed, but then this feeling was forgotten when the whole building was rocked by a massive explosion that felt like it was right on the other side of the wall.

Both of them screaming as they held each other, the two of them scooted as far away from the outer wall as they could, but that only meant that they had moved a few feet from it before being stopped by the cage door. They screamed again, hugging each other tightly when the next explosion made the lights in the building go out, leaving the two of them in total darkness while the walls started to sound like they were cracking. Claire was terrified, gripping onto her cellmate more tightly with each explosion that followed, but then… but then they started to move away.

Explosions were still happening, but now each one sounded slightly more muffled like they had moved on, but the young woman didn't let go of Elza for a long time after the bombs, or whatever was happening finally stopped. The blonde woman tried to comfort her, stroking Claire's head while telling her that everything was going to be all right, which just made the young woman feel worse about how she was handling this situation; burying her face in Elza's shoulder while crying her eyes out.

Once… only _once_ had Claire cried during everything that happened in Raccoon City, and it was actually during a similar situation. Zombies and monsters she could handle with no problem, at least as far as being mentally prepared… but when Chief Irons had captured her and strapped the young woman down on that operating table in his dungeon, Claire had screamed and cried just like this. There was just something about being hurt and made helpless by humans that was just so much worse than when monsters came after her… so much worse.

"Claire, do you hear that?" Elza whispered as a new, quieter sound began to reach their ears. "What is that? It sounds like… gunfire?"

Yeah, that was _exactly_ what it sounded like, only muffled through the walls like everything else that was happening outside. Screams, too… the blonde woman had said that screams were sometimes heard at night from the prisoners in other buildings, but not this many, as if… as if whoever was doing the shooting and bombing was going after the prisoners. Was it the guards? Was this all some kind of emergency _scrub_ mission after what happened when that other site lost containment? That didn't make any sense because after all, it happened at a _different_ site, and it wasn't like the prisoners were gonna be telling anyone.

An outside force then? Hey, maybe the government had found out about this place, and the Army or something was coming to rescue them? Yeah, any minute now the Soldiers were going to come charging in through the door, ready to rescue her and Elza… all of them good looking, with perfect teeth and college degrees… sure, why not… and with a steak dinner on standby for them. It was a nice thought, but after Raccoon City, Claire knew that it wasn't going to be that easy… never was, and… and she found herself wishing that Leon Kennedy was there.

Eventually the gunfire stopped, too, and then there was nothing but silence again as the hours… or however long it was passed, but it was a long time. Eventually the hunger she was feeling became unbearable, but there was nothing left to eat… even the tiny bit of Elza's food that had been saved was gone now… and she was going through all of this just so that she could find her brother, who probably thought she was still at college like a good girl, nowhere near Raccoon City.

God, stupid, stupid, stupid Claire, she thought to herself, remembering how she had left Leon and Sherry Birkin behind because she just couldn't wait to run off looking for her brother. That rookie cop was probably the most perfect man in the whole world, and she had him… a _couple_ times at the hotel they stayed at before separating… thank God Sherry hadn't woken up from where she was sleeping on the couch. The search for Chris had come to nothing, save for sharing a cell with Elza… she should have stayed with Leon and Sherry… she should have…

_Squeak_, the young woman's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the building's front door opening, making her and the blonde woman gasp as they moved back against the far wall… unable to see who was there in the darkness. There were footsteps, slow ones that sounded like someone was limping, along with a groan that gave her flashbacks of Raccoon City as it got closer and closer to their cell. If it was one of the monsters Claire had so many nightmares about, at least it couldn't get into the cell… right?

_Click_, suddenly she and Elza screamed in surprise when a beam of light split the darkness, illuminating them and the inside of the cell, but nothing else, including who was behind the light where they couldn't see. This was it, she thought while staring into the flashlight beam like a deer in the headlights, the guards had finished killing the other prisoners and now it was her and the blonde woman's turn to be shot… but instead of gunfire, the only sound they heard was a second _click_, before the familiar _squeak_ of the cage door being opened.

"Get out." Rodrigo's voice ordered, sounding strained as the light moved off them. "Both of you… get the fuck out of my sight."

Understandably confused by this twist of events, Claire and Elza looked at each other before slowly getting to their feet, but not daring to move again while the Captain limped his way farther down the hall. He groaned, leaning against the wall while slowly making his way to the usually abandoned desk at the far end, where he sat down hard in the wooden chair while removing a white box from the drawer. It seemed like every movement of his body pained Rodrigo as he opened the box, which the young woman could see was a first aid kit once opened… and then she saw why the Captain needed it.

While moving the flashlight around to see into the white case, the beam landed on his shirt as well, revealing a large red stain that ran down from his lower abdomen as if he had been shot. This gave credit to her theory about an outside force attacking the island, but if it was the good guys who were coming to end this nightmare, then why would Rodrigo have simply let the two of them out of their cell, when they were witnesses to everything that Umbrella was doing?

"Fuck!" The Captain yelled, startling her as he tossed what sounded like an empty bottle across the room. "This place really _is_ a backwater shithole!"

The bottle bounced a couple times in the darkness, before rolling in between the bars of the cell, and stopping at Claire's feet. It must have been important, since Rodrigo was now tossing the first aid kit against the wall, groaning again from the pain this movement caused him, but there was just enough light for the young woman to make out what the bottle said. Like all medicines, it had a fancy name that she couldn't pronounce, but she _did_ know what the word _Hemostatic_ meant when she read it on the description.

Well, if the Captain really had been shot, he was trying to use this bottle to stop the bleeding… fat lot of good it would do him being empty and all. Part of her wanted to simply let the bastard die for how he had been treating her even since their first encounter in Paris, but then again… not that she was willing to go out of her way, but maybe, just _maybe_… if she came across another bottle of that stuff…

"What the hell are you idiots still doing here?!" Rodrigo demanded, shining the light back onto them. "I told you to get out… that means _leave_… this place is lost."

"What do you mean, this place is lost?" Elza asked, stammering a bit when she spoke up. "What's happening out there?"

Coughing as well as making a pained noise that sounded kind of like a laugh, the Captain explained to them that nothing was happening, because it was all over. The attack had come out of nowhere, planes dropping bombs all over the island until the main defenses were destroyed, and then the Soldiers appeared. Rodrigo didn't know if they were some kind of Special Forces team, or a mercenary group, but with how mercilessly they started killing everyone, they were _definitely_ not from any country's government.

"So, that's it, everyone's dead, all right?" The Captain groaned, having to hold his side now. "You're free to leave the compound, but don't get your hopes up… you don't have a chance out there… if I still had my pistol, I'd do you both myself."

"Come on, Claire, let's go." The blonde woman said, pulling her arm. "If he's crazy enough to let us out, we might not get another chance like this."

Even thought the young woman didn't like to see _anyone _suffering, even Umbrella scumbags like this, at the moment there was nothing she could do to help him. If she found another bottle of that medicine, Claire promised herself that she would come back to help the Captain, but for now… for now she and Elza needed to stay focused if they were going to survive whatever dangers were waiting for them outside that door.


	6. Chapter 6 Guardhouse

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Six: Guardhouse**

"My God." Claire whispered, looking around at the area around her. "He wasn't kidding about the attack."

After walking through the door of the detention building, and seeing the outside world for the first time in what felt like weeks, the young woman saw that Rodrigo's account of what was happening on this island was not exaggerated. The last bits of red glow was vanishing from the sky as night fell, and a lot of the outside light fixtures weren't working, but the fires were giving off more than enough light. There were small craters where portions of stone walls and chain-link fences had been destroyed, a burned up corpse was halfway trapped underneath an overturned truck… and no one else in sight.

If this place had been invaded by a hostile force, then the battle must have been over, given that no more explosions or gunfire could be heard. But then where were all the bodies of the guards? And what about all the prisoners? Sure, the prisoners who weren't locked in a cage the whole time must have panicked and tried to escape, so where were they? Suddenly there was a sound that split the silence; that of a plane flying somewhere overhead, and in reaction to this Elza pulled her down behind an intact section of the nearest wall.

"I think it's best we stay out of sight." The blonde woman said, looking out as the plane's blinking lights moved away. "Come on, let's get to the guardhouse; if the invaders are still here, we're gonna have to defend ourselves."

"Hey wait, what about the other prisoners?" Claire argued, grabbing Elza's arm when she was about to start moving. "If the guards are gone, this might be our only chance to free them."

The blonde woman replied that she understood how she felt, but then asked what would happen to them if the invaders came back while they were unarmed inside a building with even more unarmed prisoners? Without some kind of weapons to defend themselves, both of them _and _the other prisoners would be killed, if they weren't dead already, and as much as she wanted to set the others free right away, Claire knew that Elza was right. Not that there was any more time to argue once the blonde woman took her hand and pulled her along toward another section of the prison.

Some of the places around the camp had been hit a lot harder than others, particularly some of the wooden longhouses where the prisoners had been standing outside for roll call… or at least she figured they had been based on what she had been able to hear with that damn bag over her head. While some of the buildings had barely been scratched, others had been completely leveled by the bombs or missiles or whatever it was, and the young woman had to look away when she saw a mess of burning bodies in orange jumpsuits lying among the wreckage of one of them.

Zombies and monsters killing people was one thing, since they were just mindless abominations, but it was still so hard for Claire to understand how humans could do something like this to each other. She knew that it happened, since a living person had created the T and G viruses that caused the Raccoon City Outbreak in the first place, but… but how could they? How could people kill each other without hesitation? How could people beat and torture others and then lock them in a cage? How could this… all of this happen at all?

"There it is." Elza declared, bringing her out of her thoughts. "At least… I think it is."

Apparently, neither of them had ever seen the outside area of the prison before, but the building the blonde woman was pointing to made sense, because it was better constructed than everything around it. Whereas all of the longhouses were nothing but hastily put together wood and stone, the one in front of them almost looked like a proper house; aluminum siding, windows that weren't just bars, and a shingled roof… hell, a place like that probably had a heater like the one in _Sir Alfred's_ office.

Letting out a long stream of visible breath while the two of them passed through another broken section of fence, it was only now that Claire realized how freezing it was outside. Even though the temperature had been no different inside the detention building, at least _there_ the wind hadn't been able to pierce right through their thin jumpsuits, causing the young woman to be unable to stop herself from shivering. Well, it _was_ December, so this kind of weather was expected, but that didn't make it any less miserable.

She wanted to go charging into the place as soon as they reached it, but Elza motioned for her to stay back for a second while she put her ear up against the closed wooden door. After listening at it for a couple seconds, the blonde woman quietly tried the knob, turning it, and then moving back against the wall after pushing it open to reveal… nothing. No one started yelling or shooting as the door swung open, but the lights were on inside, and the pleasant sensation of furnace heat was rushing out through the open doorway.

It felt like forever had passed until Elza was satisfied that it was safe to enter, and both women couldn't help but let out a loud moan of relief after the door was closed behind them, freeing them from the cold temperatures outside. From where they were standing, Claire could see that this place really was set up like a real house, since there was a living room and kitchen right in front of them, as well as a hallway going into the back, and a wooden staircase leading to the second floor.

Some of the chairs around the small wooden table were overturned, though, with a couple things knocked off the nearby shelves as if whoever had been inside when the attack started had to leave in a hurry, but even as much as the young woman wanted to find weapons so that they could free the prisoners before the invaders came back, all of her thoughts were suddenly stopped when she saw the food over in the kitchen. Maybe she had been starting to get used to the constant hunger, but after seeing what was in the kitchen's pantry, Claire's stomach rumbled so loudly that it hurt.

This time she and Elza were in complete agreement, both rushing into the kitchen, and grabbing the first box from the pantry they came to. It was nothing fancy, the cupboards mostly filled with boxes of non-perishables like canned fruit and granola bars, potato chips and bottled water. To some this might have looked like the most basics for surviving a hurricane or something, but to the two of them it was like a feast at a five-star restaurant, especially considering the kind of food that was fed to the prisoners every day.

At first imagining being able to eat the whole box to herself, the young woman's stomach must have shrunk down since Paris, because she was only able to eat two granola bars and a single bottle of water before feeling so full that she might burst. The blonde woman had the same problem, it seems, but that didn't stop her from forcing down a small bag of potato chips, which probably tasted like the greatest thing in the world to her after spending months in this place. Once real food was in their stomachs, though, the reality of their situation came back into their thoughts.

"Come on, we have to keep moving." Elza said, looking toward the door as if expecting an attack at any moment. "We'll just do a quick check for weapons, and then we'll get out of here."

Figuring that if any hostiles were in the guardhouse, they would have come out and attacked by now, the two of them moved quickly down the hallway where it ended at three doors. The left door opened up into a laundry room with several washing machines, and the right door revealed a large community bathroom that had several toilets in front and showers in the back. Upon seeing this place, the blonde woman stopped for a moment, her face turning red while a look of shame spread out across her face.

Claire knew better than to ask what was wrong, since Elza had told her the story about what one of the guards made her do in exchange for a warm shower, so the young woman closed the bathroom door and mentioned that there was just one option left. Looking away from the bathroom, the blonde woman pushed open the final door, causing both of them to gasp at what they saw inside. Unlike the rest of the guardhouse, which had been untouched, this backroom was a different story.

It must have been a bedroom, since there were several bunks lining the walls, but then Claire noticed the dozens of bullet holes in the far wall… positioned just above where a half a dozen guards were lying dead on the floor. There were just as many holes in their armor as on the wall, and their weapons were gone, allowing Elza to deduce that they must have retreated into this room for a last stand, but that the invaders had easily overwhelmed them and then took their weapons after.

This scene was not one that the young woman wanted to spend a lot of time looking at, and there was no point if there were no weapons around, so the two of them were about to leave, when a soft groan caught their attention. Quickly looking back toward the pile of bodies, Claire couldn't help but gasp when one of them on the bottom started to move, grunting in agony and leaving a blood trail as he slowly freed himself from the others. The others must have acted as a shield for him when she shooting started, since he only had a couple wounds, and he was using his baton as a cane to help him get up, only to cry out when Elza kicked it out from under him.

Before Claire could do or say anything, the blonde woman had grabbed onto the guard, dragged him the rest of the way out from under the others, and started growling angrily when she was able to see his face after rolling him over. He was a younger man, coughing up a little blood from the bullet wound in his stomach, and then crying out again when Elza gave him a swift kick across the face that made him spit out even more. He was helpless, groaning in agony while the blonde woman picked up the baton… and then screaming when she struck him with it in the groin with all her strength.

"Elza, stop!" Claire exclaimed, grabbing her arm when she was about to hit him again. "What are you doing, he's helpless!"

"So was I, but that didn't stop _him_." The blonde woman hissed while the wounded guard got into an agonized fetal position. "Think about the worst thing a man ever did to you, Claire… think about it… would you care if he was helpless?"

As much as the young woman wanted to stop her from killing this guard, a flashback to her time with Chief Irons in Raccoon City was now invading her mind. If Sherry Birkin hadn't saved her, Claire might have been killed, raped, or worse… made into one of those… those stuffed… now these memories were coming in full force, making her see what became of all the other women who had been strapped down to that table in Irons' hidden torture chamber, and instead of trying to stop Elza further… Claire went running from the bedroom.

Only getting as far as the kitchen, she leaned against the wall, tears running down her cheeks while she sunk to the floor… and then having to cover her ears to block out the sound when the wounded guard started screaming in agony.


	7. Chapter 7 Watchtower Shootout

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Seven: Watchtower Shootout**

Claire wasn't sure what she was supposed to say after Elza finally came out of the back room, so the two of them were silent for the next few minutes before needing to move on. After all, the invaders could have passed back through at any time, and even though the weather was freezing outside, at least there they would see the enemies coming before getting boxed in. The only weapon that had been found was the baton that the blonde woman was holding, not that it was ideal for a firefight, and honestly the young woman didn't even want to look at it after she had seen Elza ramming it as far down the wounded guard's throat as she could.

Yes, she knew exactly what the guard had done to her over the past few months, and Claire didn't blame her for wanting payback, but the way the blonde woman had so brutally executed him was just… it just felt so _wrong_. To be fair, _nothing_ in life had seemed right ever since Raccoon City, and sure, the young woman had been forced to kill a few people between then and now, but never anything like that…

"It looks like all the bunkhouses were hit." Elza said, interrupting her thoughts as they explored what had once been the prison area. "Good thing we were in the isolation building, huh?"

"Yeah… lucky us." Claire replied, feeling awful as she looked at the bodies of prisoners who had been trapped underneath the rubble. "Well, we can't just keep wandering around out here forever, so where do you think we should go? That administration building?"

It was as good a plan as any, but unfortunately, neither of them knew where the administration building actually was; the young woman had only been there for a short time, with both her and her cellmate having been moved around with those damn black bags over their heads. This gave both of them extensive knowledge of the isolation cells and Sir Alfred's office, and Elza had been inside the guardhouse a few times for… unpleasant reasons, but other than that it was going to be blind guesswork from there on out.

"Tobias said that all the answers are usually right in front of us." The blonde woman continued. "So, if we leave the prison yard and get to the road I felt under my feet, then the route with the most wear or tire marks should take us right to the center of things."

Sure, that sounded logical… as well as just like something that Lieutenant Liquid would have said back in Raccoon City, and as said before, there really wasn't much else to go on. Finding the main gate was easy enough, with the two of them simply keeping out of sight while following the chain-link perimeter fence around until it came to a large section that could be moved on wheels, just like the ones that Claire had heard moving while on the way to the office. Only problem was that the locking device needed a keycard to open, but there were a few dead guards nearby, so one of them should…

Suddenly the young woman found herself being blinded by an incredibly powerful light that was coming from above, and at first she was terrified that it was from a helicopter that was about to start shooting with its guns. The good news was that it was actually coming from the small searchlight mounted on the nearby watchtower, but the bad news… well, the tower had a mounted gun, too… which immediately started shooting.

_Kakka-kakka-kakka_! The dirt and rocks next to Claire's feet were kicked up as the large caliber bullets struck the ground, with each one getting closer to the point where she would have surely been killed if Elza hadn't tackled her out of the way. Getting the wind knocked out of her as the two of them landed behind a small concrete road barrier, there was no time to act or even think, since whoever was up there on the gun wasn't letting up. So they remained where they were, with the blonde woman lying on top of her as more of the ground around them was destroyed… until Claire turned her head and saw it.

One of the guards was lying next to him, his body riddled with bullet holes, but a pistol still clutched in his hand. Taking a huge risk by reaching her arm out for it, she nearly got her hand shot off, but now this pistol, specifically a 9mm Beretta 93R when she examined it in the searchlight, was hers. _Yes_! There were still a few bullets left in the magazine when she checked it, so Claire waited until their attacker had to stop shooting for a second, and then returned fire.

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_ It was impossible to see her target while having to aim blindly into the light, but suddenly there was the sound of shattering glass just before the light went out. Wait, was that a scream that she heard from above? Had she hit her target after all? No one was shooting back, but it was taking so long for the young woman's eyes to readjust to the darkness, but when they did she was horrified to discover that her pistol had clicked empty. She and Elza both looked at the empty weapon for a second, knowing that they were helpless if the shooting resumed again… so what were they going to do?

"_Hey you… you down there_." A voice that sounded… young, said over the tower's speaker system. "_All right, look, no one has to get hurt, okay? So let's all just… chill out for a second_."

"Chill out for a second?" Elza whispered, not sure what she was hearing. "Who's up there, _John Conner_? Shoot him, Claire."

"I can't, I'm _empty_." Claire whispered back, showing her the weapon. "What are we gonna do?"

In response, the blonde woman put her finger to her lips, telling her to be quiet, and then Elza listened… she just stayed still and listened to what was happening around them, before smirking and whispering that she believed their attacker to be out of ammo as well… at least for his mounted gun. Her cellmate had a plan though, one that was kind of ridiculous and honestly… a little degrading, but Claire couldn't think of anything else so there was no choice but to go with it as the blonde woman crawled away into the shadows to do her part.

As for Claire's part, she took a deep breath and tried to make herself look as pathetic as possible, stepping out from behind the barrier while calling out in an overly shaky voice that she didn't want any trouble. Playing the part of a _damsel in distress_ wasn't exactly the young woman's strong suit, and this was probably how Jill Valentine had felt during all those undercover assignments where she had to pose as a college student and a hooker during her rookie time… but this was life or death, so Claire had to pull it off. So she stood with a nervous posture, and made her hands shake while holding the pistol… God, please don't have more bullets.

"_All right, just be cool and no one gets hurt_." The young sounding voice continued. "_I'm coming down there_."

Seriously, this was working? The young woman was honestly shocked when the owner of the voice said that he was coming down, and even more so when the door to the tower opened, allowing someone who looked just as young as he sounded to start descending the ladder. Yeah, weird, he looked about sixteen or maybe seventeen at the most, but not dressed like a guard… in fact, when he reached the bottom of the ladder and stepped into the light, Claire saw that he was wearing the same orange jumpsuit and collar that she and Elza had on.

"Relax, beautiful, I'm not gonna hurt you." He said, his voice sounding just as young as it had on the speaker. "I thought you were one of those guys who were shooting up the place, so sorry for scaring you like that… now why don't you give me that gun?"

"Yeah… I think I'd rather you kept your distance, thanks." She replied, keeping the empty weapon aimed at him as if it weren't. "Safer for both of us, I think."

He was cute, but having a small frame and a nice smile didn't make anyone less dangerous, especially when they had just tried to kill her, so Claire warned him to keep back again, this time adding that if he made a single wrong move that she would shoot, but somehow she didn't think that he believed her. He just took another step forward, suggesting again that she give him the weapon for her own safety, but completely unaware that Elza was sneaking up behind him.

"I know you're scared, babe, but I'll protect you." The young man continued, now with a bit more confidence in his voice as he stepped forward again. "I'm actually one of the most hardcore guys in here, that's why they kept me in the isolation building, you know? I was _totally_ too much for the guards to handle, and then…

This story he was telling about himself was complete bullshit, although pretty entertaining, like a high school guy trying to inflate himself to impress a girl, but it just wasn't to be. Suddenly the young man's words became an outcry of startled pain when Elza pulled back her leg and slammed her foot up into his groin from behind. The blonde woman then grabbed his arm and twisted around with her whole body so that he was flipped over onto his stomach, where she put her knee into his back while bending back his wrist with the baton.

"Ow, you're gonna break my arm!" The young man screamed as Elza tightened her grip. "Let go! Please… let go! Let go, damn it!"

"Yes, _clearly_ the most hardcore guy in the place." The blonde woman replied. "We're pretty hardcore, ourselves, that's why they kept _us_ in the isolation building… Jesus, you even _look_ like _John Conner_, now hold still while I break your wrist."

"Elza, stop!" Claire yelled, coming over and putting her hand on her cellmate's shoulder. "He's not a threat to us, and we've made too much noise here as it is… what if the invaders heard it?"

Being possibly faced with an armed force was enough to stop the blonde woman from breaking his arm, but not before she made him apologize for shooting at them. She also searched him for weapons, but didn't find any, so Elza finally released him, allowing Claire to help him to his feet. Now that the ambush was over, the young woman didn't have to act like a frightened damsel any longer, but that didn't seem to stop their new companion from stealing glances at her body every chance he got.

"Come on, Claire, we gotta keep moving." Elza said, scowling at the young man again. "And you… _kid_… you don't happen to know your way around the island, do you?"

"My name isn't _kid_, its _Steve… _Steve Burnside." He hissed back, rubbing his sore arm. "But yeah, I know my way around a little… so where you girls trying to go?"


	8. Chapter 8 Plans and Suspicions

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Eight: Plans and Suspicions**

With a keycard that one of the dead guards nearby was wearing on his belt, a buzzer went off as the indicator light above the card reader changed from red to green, and then there was a metallic shaking sound as the large gate began to roll open. Moving along on small mounted rubber wheels, Claire figured that this must have been the gate she had heard before while being taken to Sir Alfred's office. At least, she hoped it was, because it was the only gate in sight, and, well… there was no one left to help within the detention compound.

Just about all of the prisoners' barracks had been hit by what looked like bombs, since the wooden frames of the buildings had been reduced to scattered rubble, but there were plenty of burned arms and legs sticking out from under the largest pieces for her to see that there were no survivors. Whoever this mysterious _Special Forces_ group was who had attacked the island, they had hit everything hard and fast enough for almost nobody to have time to react, so what were they after? Clearly their goal wasn't to free any of the prisoners, and this place wasn't exactly on the same level as Umbrella's Paris Branch… so what did they want?

"Stay three steps ahead and keep your hands where I can see them." Elza ordered, pushing Steve forward as they all went through the open gate. "And Claire… we don't know who's on the island, or what else to expect, so stay close."

The young woman didn't mind following her cellmate's lead, since she knew nothing about this place, but that didn't mean she was completely okay with how the blonde woman was treating the newest addition to their group. Yes, Steve had tried to shoot them, but it was an honest mistake, and no one got hurt in the end… except for _him_ when Elza took him down with the baton she was carrying. But the reality was that the young man was probably just as scared of the current situation as they were.

Both women always had those bags over their heads when taken past this point, but Steve seemed to know a lot more about the layout of the island, beginning with telling them about the airport on the far side. His plan for escape consisted of finding a plane that was still intact and then flying away before anyone noticed what was happening… funny, he looked a little young to be a qualified pilot, but not surprisingly Elza disagreed. The blonde woman wanted to learn as much as she could about this mysterious invading force and their resources before trying to escape, since trying to take off in a plane could get them easily shot down, but Claire had different ideas.

"We should keep looking for survivors." The young woman suggested as they came to a junction in the road. "And I know it's a long shot, but if communications are still working, then maybe we can find a way to call for help."

"I guess, if the systems are still up." Steve replied, turning around but then stepping back form Elza. "But the only places with an outside line are the lab and the administration building, and… I'd rather _not_ see Alfred Ashford tonight."

Avoiding the administration building for now made sense, because it was the most likely place for any remaining Umbrella soldiers to gather, especially if the Base Commander was still alive. So if the three of them just wandered into the nerve center of Rockfort Island unprepared, they were most likely to be either recaptured or just killed, since Sir Alfred's forces had bigger problems to worry about than a couple prisoners. So it seemed that trying to use the laboratory's communication system to send for help was the best option.

The blacktop road leading away from the prison soon branched off into three different directions, which the young man explained each led to the lab, the administration building, and something called the _training center_. Steve didn't seem to know much about that one at all, except for the fact that he had always seen a lot of Umbrella's heavier troops around it, with whole new groups arriving just as the old ones left. Okay, so if it was some kind of guard armory or firing range or something, then the training center was also a likely place for Umbrella's surviving people to gather… all right, then the lab it is.

"So, how is it you know so much about this place?" Elza asked once they started walking again. "Me and Claire had bags over our heads whenever we were moved, and from what I've seen, most prisoners don't exactly get free reign… so why are _you_ different?"

"Look, just back offa me, all right?" The young man hissed, stopping the walk when he turned around to face her. "I'm sorry I tried to kill you guys, but I'm a prisoner here just like you, and… and I didn't have a bag on my head when they moved me around."

Without waiting for permission, Steve started walking again, this time increasing the distance between himself and the two women. Claire was continuing to feel sorry for him, since he was even younger than she was, and this motivated her whisper that maybe the blonde woman was treating him a little harsh. Yeah, they had almost been killed by his gunfire, but Elza had gotten to pay him back for that when she took him down, and now there wasn't any reason to keep being, you know… angry.

"No Claire, that's not it… there's something _wrong_ here." Her cellmate whispered back, making sure the young man didn't hear them. "You and me look like we haven't showered in _days_ because we _haven't_, and on all the prisoners' bodies we found, each one had rough hands and tired faces from manual labor and torture, but _look_ at him… Claire, he's _gorgeous_."

At first the young woman agreed completely, since Steve really was attractive, but then what Elza was saying started to make sense when she how odd it was for a prisoner to look like that. Aside from when the blonde woman had knocked him down, there wasn't a speck of dirt on him, and his jumpsuit looked brand new in contrast to the faded old ones that the two of them had on. Elza continued to point things like this out on him; soft hands, no circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, his face not sunken in from malnutrition… hell, his hair even looked like it had been recently _conditioned_.

"Well… maybe he's new here." Claire whispered, stopping for a second when he looked back to see if they were still following. "Except for the black eye, I was still looking pretty good on _my_ first day here."

"It's possible, but then how would he know where everything was on the island?" Her cellmate asked, destroying this alibi. "He might be with Umbrella, but posing as a prisoner to escape the invaders… no, but then he wouldn't have been such a bad shot with that gun on the tower… so maybe he's not Umbrella, but we have to be sure."

The young woman wasn't sure just how they were supposed to go about being, well… sure about whatever it was that Steve might or might not have been hiding, and it wasn't fair for Elza to judge him just because he was hot. After all, Leon Kennedy had been just as hot back in Raccoon City, and that rookie cop had turned out to basically be the world's most perfect man, but… then again, Leon had entered the city at the same time as Claire, and he hadn't exactly been in prison before then.

"The lab's that building right over there." The young man said, once they caught up to where he was taking cover behind a partially destroyed brick wall. "We gotta be careful, though… I've seen a lot of prisoners being taken inside, but none have come back out."

Leaning out around the destroyed portion of the wall far enough to take a look, the young woman's first thought was that the concrete building looked more like a service garage than a laboratory of any kind. The front door was surrounded by a tall chain link fence that had rows of barbed wire along the top, and then there were a series of metal rollup doors that looked big enough to bring a truck through. No windows along the wall or on the roof, and the rollup doors were closed… so if they wanted to get inside, the only way was to get past the fence.

"Is this where the screams came from?" Elza asked, peeking around the as well. "For as long as I've been here, every couple nights I heard screams from outside, and this is one of the only places close enough to the prison."

"Yeah, this is the place." Steve answered, peeking over the wall. "I've never been inside, but look; the light on the satellite dish up there is still blinking."

Claire looked up and saw that there was a small red light flashing on the large dish up on the roof just like he said, but she didn't like the idea of going into such a notorious building without knowing anything about what was inside, especially since her pistol was still empty. They had found other dead guards along the way, but these ones had their weapons and ammo all taken from them by whoever had gunned them down. Yeah… entering a potentially hostile facility with only a baton and an empty weapon to defend themselves... great.

There didn't seem to be any guards or invaders around, so the three of them stayed low as they came around the wall and made their way across the yard to the chain link fence. It wasn't electrical, seen when the blonde woman picked up a piece of metal debris and tossed it against the material, only to have it bounce harmlessly to the ground. A few of the security cameras around the area were still intact, although they weren't moving, nor were any of their indicator lights on, so it was pretty safe to say that no one was watching… if there was even anyone left alive to watch.

"I don't see a gate or anything." Claire remarked once they were closer to the wall of the building. "How are we supposed to get past the fence?"

"We can't, it's an enclosure for employee smoke breaks." The blonde woman answered, pointing down to all the old cigarette butts on the ground. "And I don't have any wire cutters on me, so unless _Steve_ here has any better ideas…

"I _do_, actually." He snapped, looking over at the nearest rollup door. "We can work together to pull up that door there, and then two of us hold it while the smallest one here slips underneath to let us in… that would have to be Claire."

_Of course_ it did, the young woman thought when Elza looked at her to see if she was willing to try it. Yep, Claire was definitely the smallest, since her cellmate was taller and more in shape than she was, while Steve was actually built about the same, he was probably stronger and therefor needed to help hold the door open. She agreed, and there was a rusty squeaking sound as the three of them struggled the door upward along its track. As soon as it was high enough, Claire dropped down and rolled herself underneath, and then there was an echoing _crash_ when the others let go of it, allowing the heavy rollup door to come slamming back down.


	9. Chapter 9 Sleeping Quarters

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Nine: Sleeping Quarters**

Now that Claire was alone, with the closed rollup door making her unable to hear the sounds of the wind or her companions, the young woman was surprised by how much the silence put her on edge. Ever since the whole ordeal at the Paris facility, she had not been able to enjoy a single moment of silence until right now, and… honestly, she wanted the noise back. From on the cold, concrete floor where she was lying after crawling through the door, this big open bay was just as she expected; large enough to unload cargo from trucks, illuminated by hanging fluorescent fixtures that lightly squeaked as they moved back and forth, and… empty.

"Elza, there's nothing here!" Claire called out, the sound of her voice startling her a little as she got up to her knees. "It looks like the door's electric, but… I don't see a switch!"

"It's probably in a different room, then… damn Umbrella security." Her cellmate answered, slightly muffled by the door. "You're gonna have to go look for it, but _be careful_, okay?"

Given her current situation, the young woman was glad to have Elza around, not just because it sucked to be alone during extreme situations, but also because it was nice to not have to figure out everything by herself. During Raccoon City there had been times when Claire had relied heavily on Leon when things got rough, but for most of that ordeal she had been on her own… not to mention taking care of Sherry. Sure, the young woman could take care of herself, but the blonde woman was a natural leader, and she didn't want to be alone at least until it was known whether or not Steve could be trusted.

Her cellmate was right about her observations, though; the young man was _way_ too good looking to have spent much time in the prison at all, at least not enough to know the layout of the island like he did. Okay, first thing's first… gotta find a way to open the door… probably in a security office somewhere, knowing Umbrella. Since there wasn't a chain or a crank or anything to open the rollup door manually, Claire wondered how people were supposed to get out if there was a fire or something, but again knowing Umbrella like she did… maybe they _weren't_ supposed to.

There was absolutely nothing in the shipping bay, or whatever this room was, so she got to her feet and quietly made her way over toward a set of metal double doors, which was the only way forward that she could see. As she walked, the young woman clutched the empty pistol as if it wasn't empty; a habit from Raccoon City she guessed, recalling what it had been like to wander through the halls of the RPD, never knowing where the next attack would come from, and then feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand up each time she opened a new door.

With the knob turning easily, and the young woman moving behind the door while slowly pulling it open, the exploration of this building began with her stepping into a long hallway that had no windows like the shipping bay. There was one metal door along the wall on both sides, though, as well as one at the far end, but no directory signs or other labels to tell what was behind each one. This meant that the security station with the door switch could have been anywhere, so she was going to have to check each one.

At least there had been no guards to greet her so far, probably having rushed out to fight off the invaders when the attack started. _Squeak_, the first door made a loud noise when it was being opened, as if the hinges were rusted, and that was because they were. In fact, the whole other side of the door was coated with rust, probably because a cheaply made steel door was not the best choice for a shower room.

One of those wide industrial showerheads was on the end of a pipe that was sticking out though the wall, with a floor drain in the center of the room, along with hard-bristle brushes leaning against the wall, and a large plastic laundry cart that was overflowing with orange jumpsuits and underwear from both men and women. The prisoners brought in must have been taken into here first, forced to strip down and toss their clothes into the cart before being painfully scrubbed down with the brushes… but then taken where?

Moving back out into the hallway, Claire tried the next door, but instantly felt a knot forming in her stomach when it opened up into a room that contained only a real bright light in the center, and a wooden chair that was bolted to the floor. The part that disturbed her was the metal wrist and ankle restraints that were built into the chair's arms and legs, causing her to breathe rapidly while remembering her own interrogation in one of those same chairs after getting captured in Paris.

Rodrigo had beaten her pretty bad after she was handcuffed, and then once the young woman was strapped into the chair, they had given her such a large dose of _Sodium Pentothal_ that it made her sick, like… real sick. It was a good thing the young woman didn't actually know anything important, such as her brother's location or any other secrets, because the drug made her tell the Captain everything he wanted to know, including a lot of _really_ personal things that she figured they asked just to humiliate her.

No longer able to stay in that room and look at the whole setup, Claire stumbled a bit as she retreated back into the hallway, pulling the door shut and then feeling a tear run down her cheek while she leaned on the opposite wall to catch her breath. Once out of the room, it didn't take long for the young woman to get a hold of herself, clearing her throat and wiping the tear from her face as she forced herself to keep moving down the corridor toward the last door.

"Come on, Claire, you can do this." She whispered to herself. "At least it's not Raccoon City… yeah, at least it's not Raccoon City."

Taking another moment to steady herself before trying the knob, this one opened with a soft _click_, but as soon as she pulled it open, Claire found herself being overpowered not by what she saw this time, but the _smell_ that rushed out of the room. The scent was that of blood and rotten meat, something the young woman had gotten used to during the Raccoon City Outbreak, but as much as she had smelled it in the past, it had never been so concentrated.

If there had been _any_ other visible way to get through this building, she would have taken it in a heartbeat, but of course this was the only way, so Claire tried her best to breathe through her mouth while stepping into the room, not that this was helping very much. This next room was much larger than the others, and filled with old metal bunkbeds that didn't have mattresses… but what they _did _have was occupants. Very dead occupants who were lying naked on some of the beds with shocked expressions on their faces, while what remained of their blood dripped down onto the growing puddle on the floor.

Bullet holes riddled the corpses, with more impact marks on the bed frames and nearby walls of each one as if the guards or maybe the invaders had simply run in and started shooting at anything that moved. That explained why there were so many more shell casings on the floor than there were bodies, even counting the victims who were slumped down on the floor against the far wall. Those ones must have tried to escape, but there was nowhere to go, and with how much damage the wall behind them had taken, it must have been a real massacre.

Umbrella certainly didn't discriminate; men and women of all ages and races were among the dead, with the collars around their necks being the only thing they had in common, well… _aside_ from being dead, that is. So was this what Elza had been worried about happening to her now that Tobias was probably dead at that other site? And was… was this where Claire would have ended up if not for the attack? The nauseous feeling in her stomach was getting worse, prompting the young woman to move faster on her way through the room, but these damn bunkbeds were set up like a maze, and she wasn't about to crawl over any bodies.

Trying not to look at them as she made her way around the damaged beds, she was just starting to think that this place was built to not let anyone ever find the other door, when it appeared around the next corner. However, there was another body slumped down in front of it, although this one wasn't a prisoner, it was a guard. He was shot just as many times as the others in the room, and his weapons were nowhere to be seen, but maybe there was still some pistol ammo inside his pouches… that, and Claire had to move him out of the way in order to reach the door.

Hey, maybe she would get lucky and the door would open outward… nope, definitely had to _pull_ it open… okay, so the easiest way to move this guy, who was way bigger than she was, by the way, was probably to grab him by the ankles and drag him. Yeah, his feet were the least bloody parts of him, so the young woman carefully reached down and grabbed him by the boots. Wow he was heavy, which probably had something to do with his helmet and body armor still being on, but Claire wasn't about reach up there and try to remove them just to make dragging this guy easier.

It took a lot of effort, but eventually the young woman moved the dead guard far enough away from the door for it to be able to open, but first she needed to see if he still had any pistol ammo in those pouches. For that, she needed to get a lot closer to the parts of him that were shot up, which Claire accomplished by leaning back to keep her nose as far away from the smell as possible. Yes! Most of his equipment was gone, but one of the pouches still had a few full clips inside it… good thing everyone in these kinds of units always used the same weapons to cut costs.

There were three full clips, so she put two of them into the pocket of her jumpsuit, and was just about to load the last one into her pistol, when movement suddenly caught her eye… right before the dead guard's gloved hand reached out for her. Unable to help letting out a scream of fright and surprise as she fell backwards, Claire scooted away as the guard started to get up, and it was then that she got a good look at his face. His skin was blotchy and discolored, while his eyes were so heavily glazed over that they almost appeared to be white, and drool was falling from the gaps between his rotting, blackened teeth as he took a shambling step toward her.

It was a _zombie_, the young woman thought as it groaned… just like the ones in Raccoon City.


	10. Chapter 10 Another Way In

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Ten: Another Way In**

One would have thought that after everything she had survived and overcome during the Raccoon City outbreak, Claire would have leapt into action and easily disposed of this monster, but the truth was that she was so shocked and frightened that the young woman found herself unable to do much of anything. After escaping from the city with Leon and Sherry, she was so sure that the nightmare was over that Claire allowed herself to believe that the zombies and monsters created by the T-Virus were a unique occurrence that could never happen again… but there it was, standing right in front of her.

She kept hoping that it was some kind of a nightmare… that all of this was nothing but a really bad dream as she slowly scooted backwards across the blood stained floor to keep away from the advancing zombie. But how was this even possible, the young woman wondered, fumbling to load the clip into her pistol once she regained her senses after backing into the metal frame of one of the beds? The infected monsters that swarmed Raccoon City were the result of an accidental spilling of the virus, so how could that even happen at a secure facility? Maybe if they were storing it, and the attack ruptured the tanks? Or… or if they were experimenting with it on the prisoners?

_Bang_! _Bang_! Once Claire finally managed to load the clip, she did her best to aim the weapon with her shaky hands, before firing two shots. The first one struck the zombie in the shoulder of the tactical vest, but unfortunately a 9mm bullet didn't exactly have enough punch to break through, and the second shot _did_ hit him in the forehead… only to make a spark when it ricocheted off the helmet he was still wearing.

By this time the monster was close enough to try grabbing for her again, forcing the young woman to crawl underneath the bunkbed in order to keep out of the zombie's reach when it dove onto the floor. She kicked him in the face several times while trying to come back out the other side, scrambling to get up so that she could get away before the chase could continue, but then the young woman stopped upon seeing even _more_ movement.

"Oh, my God." She whispered, becoming a little pale in reaction to what she saw. "No… no, please, no."

Just as she was pulling herself back out from underneath the bunkbed, there was a groan from in front of her, and Claire couldn't believe her eyes when she saw that some of the dead prisoners were starting to move around. It wasn't all of them who were getting up after taking on the same features as the one chasing her, but there were still enough of them to trap her if she didn't do something _fast_.

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_ Kicking the pursuing guard zombie one more time while coming out from underneath the bunkbed, the young woman started shooting even before she was all the way to her feet. There were a greater number of the infected prisoners, but since they were naked there was nothing to protect their heads, and Claire even managed to hit one or two of them during her panic. As if they were drawn to the sounds of gunfire, the zombies started growling and snarling as they shambled toward her as fast as they could. Even some of the ones on the bunkbeds were starting to move, but they simply rolled off onto the floor, allowing her to focus on the more direct threats.

Due to the tight quarters of the room, the infected prisoners were able to close in on her pretty fast, so the young woman doubled back, this time rolling across the top of the bottom bunk, and causing the guard zombie to snarl with frustration since it had just been reaching the other side while crawling under. Now that the previously blocked door was unobstructed, Claire had no intention of staying to fight, especially since she was outnumbered with only a few bullets, so she ran to the door and pulled it open.

_Slam_! Pulling the metal door shut as soon as she was through, the young woman turned the deadbolt, preventing the zombies from doing anything but groaning and scratching on the other side once they reached it. Safe for the moment, she bent forward and put her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath while turning her head to see what was contained inside of this new area. The first thing she noticed was that it was slightly colder, but a lot more sterile looking with the intense white fluorescent light fixtures and all of the medical equipment.

None of the machines or monitors were on, leaving the room silent once the zombies back in the bunk house gave up on trying to get her, and in addition to all of the machines, there was an entire wall that was dedicated to rows of large storage lockers like… wow, just like the ones for storing bodies back at the RPD morgue. Was that what this place was, a morgue? If so, then it was better that she didn't open any of those lockers, because who even _knew_ how many prisoners had been infected by… however the virus escaped?

"Stay focused, Claire." The young woman said to herself, looking around some more. "Gotta find the door release… no, need a different way in."

The last thing she wanted was to open the door and then have her companions walk right into all those zombies inside the bunk house, so she needed to find another way in for them. Besides the way she had come in, there were two other doors available, but which one should she try? One thing Claire had learned in Raccoon City was to try listening at each door before opening it, provided there was time and no trench coat wearing giants chasing her, so the young woman walked over to the nearest one and put her ear up against it.

She expected to not hear anything at all, since zombies didn't really do anything until they had a target, but instead she could hear the sound of air moving. It wasn't an air-handler room since there were no machines running with the noise, so… did this door lead outside? Turning the latch and slowly pushing it open, the young woman found not only that it did lead outside, but that she was standing in a small enclosure with a tall chain link fence between her and where Elza and Steve were still standing next to the rollup door.

"Claire?" Steve asked, startled to see her as they walked up to the fence. "Did you find the door switch?"

"No, but you can't come in that way!" Claire replied quickly, putting urgency in her voice. "The prisoners are infected, they're… they've got the T-Virus… it's just like Raccoon City in there!"

In response to this, the blonde woman cursed under her breath, but then reminded the young woman that she was safe for the moment, since there weren't any of the infected in sight. Just like a cop would do, Elza promised that they were going to find a way to get her out of there, but not before asking whether or not she had been able to find the communications equipment. Claire hadn't, explaining that this was the first door she had tried after locking all the zombies inside the bunk house, and this news seemed to start the wheels turning inside her cellmate's head.

First the blonde woman looked at the fence, her eyes moving upward until they fell onto the rows of barbed wire, and then finally shaking the chain link section as hard as she could as if testing it. Now she was looking down at the ground, moving back and forth across the whole area like she was searching for something specific, but having no luck at all by the time she came back to the group.

"Steve, take off your jumpsuit." Elza ordered after a moment of silence. "It's in the best condition, so we'll use it to cover the barbed wire and climb over, and then again once we're done sending a distress call."

"What?! You want me to give you my clothes?!" The young man exclaimed. "No way; its freezing out here, I… use _yours_ if it's so important!"

Instead of saying something back right away, the blonde woman grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and forced him to accompany her a good distance away from the fence before letting him go again. The whole way there Steve demanded that he let her go, calling her a _crazy bitch_ among other things that shouldn't be repeated, but then she stopped his talking by grabbing him by the front of the shirt and pulling him closer so that he was on his tiptoes.

"Okay, so you'd rather have one of the _girls_ make the sacrifices, huh?" Elza whispered harshly, probably assuming that Claire couldn't hear from that distance. "I've seen the way you keep looking at Claire, but do you _really_ think she's even gonna _look_ at some _little boy_ who won't do what's needed to protect her? Now get over there and _man up_."

Cursing under his breath after she pushed him forward back toward the fence, the young man tried to regain his composure by the time they got back to Claire, and then both women turned around once he started to take off the jumpsuit. The young woman couldn't help sneaking a peak when Steve wasn't looking, and apparently neither could Elza, and who could blame them? Steve was _hot_, not that the young woman was just going to come out and say that, and she tried not to stare at his well-toned body during the whole process of throwing the jumpsuit over the fence so that the two of them could safely cross the barbed wire.

"Jesus, it's cold!" Steve exclaimed, recovering the now partially ripped jumpsuit and getting dressed. "I hope you _girls_ appreciate this."

"Your sacrifice means the world." The blonde woman replied coldly. "Now let's find the communications equipment and get the hell out of here… you first, _hero_."

Grumbling under his breath as he walked through the door first, Claire started to follow him, only to have her cellmate grab her by the arm to stop her. Steve could still be heard grumbling as he moved farther into the morgue, and the blonde woman waited until there was only silence before asking the young woman if she had noticed the same things that she had during the whole fence obstacle.

"Yeah, it was hard _not_ to." Claire replied quietly. "He's _really_ good looking."

"Exactly, and _that's_ the problem." Elza replied, looking again to make sure he wasn't listening. "The guards beat me just as hard as they did you, and everyone else here… but there isn't a _mark_ on _him_… come on, Claire… we need to figure this out."


	11. Chapter 11 Distress Call

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Eleven: Distress Call**

As luck would have it, and there wasn't much of that to go around, the communications system for this facility was through the other door that Claire had seen after entering the morgue. The next room wasn't solely dedicated to that, however, more like a means to give progress reports or experiment updates directly to Umbrella HQ. There were more bodies in this place; men wearing lab coats and gas masks as if they had known that the virus escaped… but those masks didn't do much to protect them against all the bullet wounds in their torsos.

The invaders must have stormed the facility during the attack, killing all the prisoners and scientists before stealing everything that wasn't nailed down. Most of the lab equipment had been destroyed, with broken glass and pieces of plastic scattered across the concrete floor, and everything having been taken out of the now empty filing cabinets that were left open. Whoever had done this was really thorough, leaving the three of them no way of knowing exactly what kind of experiments were being conducted here… but then again, did they _really _want to know?

"Okay, we probably don't have a lot of time." Elza said, looking around the room. "Claire, see what you can do about sending a distress call, Steve, keep watch at the exit in case anyone comes back here, and… I'll handle these bodies, just in case."

Claire wasn't sure what the blonde woman meant by that as she headed over to the communications equipment, but when she looked back over at the others, Steve was taking a peek outside through the partially opened door, and her cellmate was… tying the dead men's shoelaces together? When asked about this, Elza replied that it was to slow them down in case they came back to life… another trick that Tobias had shown her back in Raccoon City… _God damn_, the two of them were similar.

Okay, back to the task at hand… the young woman wasn't exactly a master computer programmer or anything even remotely close to that, but Chris had taught her how to use radio equipment and even a little about satellite comms systems, so… well, that was _great_. From what she could see, the radio device was hard-wired for communication within the island only, sort of like an emergency PA system, and as for the satellite, it was dedicated to a single Umbrella source that allowed the scientists to contact their headquarters, and… not much else… looks like the company didn't trust their employees that much.

"We can't call for help with the radio or the satellite… unless we want to talk to Umbrella." Claire explained, still looking around for more options. "Hey, it looks like the Internet connection is still working, but… hey, maybe that could work."

Since there were no approaching threats and all the bodies' shoelaces had been tied together, the others joined the young woman as she used the undamaged PC on the desk to access her _Hotmail_ account. With no other lines of communication open, Claire explained that she was going to try and send an email to Leon Kennedy… there wasn't much information that she could tell him, since they didn't know much about the place except for the name of the island, the fact that it was an illegal Umbrella prison, and their current coordinates that were on the computer.

"Good plan, Claire, it's better than nothing." Steve said, watching from behind as she was typing. "So… who's Leon?"

"I guess you could say he's my, uh… _ex_-boyfriend?" The young woman replied, not sounding really sure. "I haven't seen him since a few days after Raccoon City got blown up… I just hope there's something he can do to help us… and that he checks his email now and then."

Suddenly Elza snapped her fingers, glaring sternly at the young man while gesturing upward with her hand, but when Claire looked back at him to see what all the fuss was about… Steve was just standing there with a dumbfounded look on his face. Weird, she thought going back to the email, I wonder what that was about? About a minute later she was done, hoping that the message wouldn't come across as insanity as she clicked the _send_ icon on the screen. After a few seconds it was gone, and that was actually… all she could do.

"All right, let's get out of here." Elza said, already moving toward the door. "Steve, we're gonna need your clothes again."

He did a mocking repeat of her words underneath his breath, but still started to remove his jumpsuit once the three of them were all outside, and then tossing it over the barbed wire once again. The material became even more torn this time, leaving large visible holes when he was able to put it back on after everyone had managed to climb back over to the other side of the fence, but now what were they supposed to do? While leaving the prison, the options had been the laboratory, the administration building, and the airfield, so…

"We should go to the airfield." Steve suggested, like he had before. "We'll steal a plane right out from under their noses and fly outa here."

"We can't until we know how big the occupying force is here." Claire argued. "If we go to the administration building first, then maybe some of the island's surveillance equipment still works, and then we can see whether or not they can shoot us down if we steal a plane."

Did the young woman want to run right for the nearest plane and escape from this nightmare? Hell yes she did, but even _if_ the young man could fly like he claimed, it wouldn't do any good if there was a gunship hovering nearby. So it was decided that they would travel to the administration building, which Steve was strongly against doing… not that what he wanted mattered as long as Elza was in charge.

In spite of his protests, the three of them went back to the junction in the road, and from there the young man reluctantly led the way toward the administration building. As they traveled down the blacktop road, the extent of the damage done to the island during the attack became apparent, as in being a lot worse than Claire originally thought. Several small buildings and guard posts had been simply annihilated by bombs, and fires had broken out which were slowly spreading since no one was there to put them out.

Suddenly the young woman's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of commotion up ahead, causing the group to duck down behind a partially destroyed wall to avoid being seen as two Umbrella guards came running toward the road. Both were in full riot armor and carrying assault rifles, but that didn't stop one of them from getting cut down when several high caliber bullets tore into his back. In reaction to the sudden gunfire, the other guard turned around and started shooting, only to scream when the next burst of gunfire caught him once in the shoulder and once in the leg.

Even though this wounded man was with Umbrella, Claire still found herself wanting to help him against the invaders, but stopped when three more armored men came walking up to where he fell. The guard couldn't pick up his rifle again because of his wounded arm, not that he would have been able to do much once the nearest invader kicked it away. All of the aggressors there were in solid black uniforms along with gas masks like the ones the scientists had been wearing, but the only identifying feature among them was that the letters _HCF_ were on their tactical vests.

"_And where were you off to in such a hurry_?" The nearest one asked through his mask while the others grabbed the guards' rifles and pistols. "_Don't you know that running from us will only make you die tired_?"

_Bang_! With a single shot of his rifle, the wounded guard gagged when a bullet slammed into his throat, making him cough and choke while bringing his one good hand up to the hole in a feeble attempt to stop the bleeding. The HCF men laughed at his struggles; one of them putting his hands on his own throat while making sarcastic choking noises, while another took a tiny compact camera out of one of his pouches and took a picture. _Bang_! Eventually the closest HCF man raised his rifle again, and shot the guard in the face, putting an end to his struggles.

"_You think that's the last of them_?" The one with the camera asked as they started walking away. "_There can't be that many Umbrella jerkoffs on a tiny island like this_."

"_Doesn't matter if there are or not_." The first one replied. "_We're just gonna keep patrolling, and kill everyone we see, until we get called back for extraction_."

Well, _that_ was disheartening, Claire thought as the group of HCF men walked out of sight. Ever since the attack on the island began, the young woman had allowed herself to believe that there was the _smallest _chance that the invaders would have been the good guys, like the American CIA or British SAS, or _anyone_… but _no_, it just _had_ to be a bunch of psychos who were even _worse_ than the damn guards.

"Yeah, we really need to get out of here." Elza whispered, turning to Steve. "Kid, you need to get us to the administration building, and I mean _right now_."

The young man's protests had stopped, and who could blame him after seeing the invaders do _that_ to one of the Umbrella guards? So he led on, bringing them farther down the blacktop road, but with the group's pace drastically slowed down since now they were trying to stay behind whatever cover was available. Since these mysterious HCF people were so quick to execute guards and scientists, they had probably killed all those helpless prisoners as well, and… yeah, suddenly Claire was wishing that the three of them were wearing something a little less obvious than bright orange jumpsuits.

"That's the administration building up ahead." Steve announced, pointing from where they were hiding behind an overturned truck. "I just hope you two know what you're doing."

Looking out from cover, the young woman could see a building that looked almost like a castle with its mostly brick and concrete structure and sort of medieval design. The place was also heavily damaged during the attack, with pieces missing from some of the upper sections, including a huge pile of rubble that might have once been one the west tower to match the remaining one in the east. She didn't really want to go back in there again in case it was where the last of the Umbrella guards were gathering, but there was no choice… and Steve wasn't the only one wondering if they knew what they were doing.


	12. Chapter 12 The Hidden Portrait

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Twelve: The Hidden Portrait**

Although Claire had never seen the lobby of the administration building, she could tell that it had once been beautifully decorated… only to be heavily damaged when the HCF attacked the island… whoever they were. These rows of hardwood desks must have been where the young woman had heard all the typing coming from when she and Elza had been brought through for the teleconference, but now most of those desks lay in pieces, their desktop computers smashed, and the expensive tile floor underneath cracked beyond repair.

Parts of the roof had been damaged, allowing the wind to make a kind of whistling sound as it rushed down into the lobby where the heaters were no longer functioning, but at least the lights were still on… the ones that weren't broken, that is. Large pieces of the walls' plaster was broken, exposing the stonework underneath, and at the front of the room, centered on the wall above the stairway that Claire had been forced to blindly stumble upward the other day, was a gigantic portrait of Sir Alfred Ashford.

So far there were no Umbrella guards in sight, nor were any invaders searching around the rubble for survivors, so for now the group was free to move around as they pleased. They already knew that the surveillance equipment was in the Commander's office, but there was also a chance that there were weapons or other needed supplies that the HCF men had missed, and honestly this was probably going to be the only chance for them to check around this place, leaving their only option being to split up once again.

"I'll look around down here." The young woman suggested. "Maybe I can find another weapon for us or something, while you two look at the camera feeds."

"I'll go with Claire." Steve quickly added, stepping away from Elza. "I mean… she shouldn't be wandering around by herself… it could be dangerous."

Instead of arguing, the blonde woman simply nodded before giving Claire a quick wink while the young man wasn't looking, a gesture that reminded her of what the two of them had discussed earlier. As much as the young woman was starting to like Steve, Elza was right about the things which didn't add up about him, and the plan was for her to get him talking as much as possible about himself as soon as they could be alone sometime. Now, Claire didn't believe that she would have to be _overly flirtatious_ to get him to open up like her cellmate suggested, but… she just hoped that he didn't turn out to be an Umbrella spy or anything.

That being said, they parted ways with Elza heading up the stairs while the young woman looked around to decide which door she and Steve should try. There wasn't really that much of a decision to make, given that all of the side doors in the lobby had been destroyed except for one, and it opened up into what looked like some kind of museum. Remarkably untouched by the attack, this long rectangular chamber was filled with showcases that included a replica of an old tank, a whole bunch of valuable looking trinkets, and a whole quarter of the room that was filled with old painted portraits of people.

_Veronica Ashford_ was the name on the gold plaque at the bottom of the frame of the first one, which depicted a beautiful brunette in a purple dress from what looked like at least a century ago, and it was then that Claire noticed that the family name of Ashford was shared by all of them, spanning several generations of stuffy looking men and women that gradually got more modern up through the generations… all the way up to _Alexander Ashford_… and then the _Sir Alfred_ that she already knew.

"These are all the heads of the Ashford family." Steve explained while she looked at them. "Apparently they were a pretty big deal in social circles around the world, at least until the last few generations when one of them turned out to be a major screw up."

"You seem to know an awful lot about this family, Steve." Claire commented, looking at the last portrait. "So how… wait a second, do you see that right there? That almost looks like a… hinge?"

Yeah, there was a really small brass door hinge in the lower corner of the portrait's frame, and the young woman was moving up to get a closer look, when she gasped after knocking over the old vase that was displayed on a pedestal in front of it. She cringed, expecting a loud _crash_ to echo through the chamber as the old pottery was broken into a hundred pieces, but instead the vase didn't even fall. It started to, tilting to the side at first, but then stopping when the metal tether attached to the bottom pulled tight with a hard _click_.

Quickly retracting so that the decorative vase was returned to its original position, Claire's suspicions about the hinges were confirmed as the whole portrait swung inward as if revealing a secret door… no, wait a second, it wasn't opening, it was simply spinning around to reveal… another portrait that was hidden behind it. Now that the Commander's portrait was hidden, this one was of a beautiful young woman with blonde hair, wearing a dress that looked like it was trying to be the modern equivalent of the one Veronica wore.

"_Alexia Ashford_." The young woman read aloud once the changeover had finished. "Now what on _Earth _were you doing hidden away back there?"

"Put it back!" Steve snapped, nearly pushing Claire out of the way so that he could pull the vase again. "Put it back _right now_!"

She wasn't sure what to make of this outburst, especially when he turned around and put his hands on top of his head once the portrait was returned to its original state, and the young woman felt it was best to just be quiet for a minute while the young man caught his breath. It was all so strange, like the portrait of that young woman genuinely frightened him, but that was ridiculous. After several seconds of remaining in that position and pacing around nervously, the young man started to calm down, but his attitude didn't improve at all.

"Damn it, Claire, we shouldn't _be_ here." He said sternly. "All we've been doing is running around wasting time, when we could've been flying out of here by now, if your sister wasn't such an asshole. I say we get to the airfield and steal a plane, and if _Commandant Elza_ wants to stay here and fuck around… then let's just leave her."

"We aren't leaving _anyone_ behind, Steve." Claire replied, putting a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down. "And Elza's right, we need weapons and information before we can stand a chance against the se HCF people, and… wait, did you just say _sister_?"

She and Elza weren't sisters, the young woman explained; their last names were different, while the blonde woman was taller and in better shape, to which the young man simply replied that Claire was crazy. According to him, she and Elza looked so much alike that he almost thought they were twins… but if they weren't sisters, then he wanted to know why the young woman did whatever her cellmate told her.

"You know what, whatever, I don't care." Steve interrupted before she could say anything else. "But if it's gonna take weapons to get you to leave with me, then you wait right there, beautiful, cause' I got something over here that's gonna knock your socks off."

Without another word or waiting for a reply, the young man took off running toward the far end of the museum, where he passed through an open archway that seemed to lead into another showroom. Claire followed as quickly as she could, calling for him to wait, but of course he didn't listen, and by the time she reached the archway, the young man was turning a metal trashcan upside down so that he could climb up on it in order to reach… oh wow, look at _those_.

From where she was standing in front of the archway, the young woman looked upward to see a large golden plaque mounted high up on the wall… and at the center of which were two pistols that almost looked like they were made of gold as well. Unless this was an old _James Bond_ movie then those couldn't be real, Claire thought as Steve stood on his tiptoes in order to reach where they were mounted… no, probably just an insanely expensive replica, but that didn't stop the young man from trying for them regardless.

"Just you wait, Claire." Steve said, his voice straining as he dared to jump a little on the overturned trashcan. "These guns are gonna put that old _clunker_ you're carrying around to shame, and then we'll see just how _tough_ Elza is when…

Suddenly the young man's words turned into an outcry of surprise when he finally managed to grab onto the pistols after one more jump, only to have the trash can fall out from under him… just as an alarm started going off. It happened so quickly that Claire was unable to do anything to help him; a hidden metal slab coming down to seal the entrance even before the young man's back hit the floor, and even though there was a release button in the center of this new barrier, the indicator light above the panel was blinking red.

"Steve, what happened?!" She called, pounding on the barrier. "Steve, are you all right?!"

"Claire, help!" His muffled voice screamed a moment later, along with pounding from his side. "You gotta get me outa here, there's… oh shit, Claire, there's some kind of gas coming through the vents! Help!"

The young woman's first thought was that the security system had been triggered when he took the golden guns from their plaque, so she yelled for him to put the pistols back, hoping that doing so would cancel the alert. Unfortunately, Steve was so panicked that he either didn't understand, or couldn't hear her words over the sound of his own screaming. Okay, Claire, gotta think, the young woman told herself… if he won't put them back, and the lock can't be released from the door directly… then the alert needs to be cancelled somewhere else… somewhere that security was monitored… the Commander's office!

"Hold on, Steve!" She yelled, turning and running back toward the lobby as his screams got more desperate. "I'll get you out of there, just hold on!"


	13. Chapter 13 Promises

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Thirteen: Promises**

After returning to the lobby, and running up the stairs past the giant portrait of Sir Alfred, Claire now realized that she had no idea where the Commander's office was beyond that point. There were a number of doors for her to choose from, and the worst part was that she would have known exactly where to go if that damn bag hadn't been on her head the last time she was there. Panic started to set in as she thought about Steve's condition getting worse with each second that she wasted looking around, and… damn it, the office seemed so close to the stairs last time!

Hey, wait a second… the young woman remembered stumbling up the stairs, and then there was barely any time at all before being pushed into the office for that teleconference, so… okay think, Redfield, she told herself… go back to the top of the stairs, close your eyes, and _think_. Doing just that, she recalled having to take a sharp turn to the right, so Claire walked forward until she couldn't go any farther, and turned right just in time to see a set of wooden double doors that she never would have spotted on her own due to how they were set in a hidden depression on the wall.

"Elza!" She yelled after pulling one of the doors open. "Elza, Steve's in trouble!"

Upon entering the office, where she noticed that the alarm from downstairs couldn't be heard anymore, Claire found her cellmate sitting at Sir Alfred's desk, looking at the few camera feeds from around the island that were still working. Some of them showed nothing but empty rooms or outside pathways where no life was present, while others showed damage to buildings and small fires that had broken out, but hardly any invaders at all. There was also no indication that something was wrong down in the museum, which explained why the blonde woman was so startled to hear the news about their companion.

"Did you tell him to put them back?" Elza asked as they began looking for some kind of release button on the control panel. "Did he even _try_ to?"

The young woman explained that he had been so panicked by the gas that he probably couldn't hear what she was saying, and now… seriously, it looked like this desk controlled all the surveillance for Rockfort Island, and yet there wasn't a _single_ alert going off for someone breaking into the museum. Then she found it; passing over the slowly blinking red light on the very corner of the panel, since it looked like a power indicator, Claire pressed the almost invisible button below it, causing two of the camera feeds to change.

One of them now showed a nearly unconscious Steve kneeling in front of the door as he weakly pounded on it, and the other feed showed the other side of the barrier, where the red indicator light on the release button had turned green. Immediately starting to get up and head for the door, the young woman stopped for a second after seeing something underneath the desk out of the corner of her eye. It was a First Aid Kit, probably meant for Sir Alfred's personal use, but right now Steve was probably going to need it a lot more than the Commander was, so she grabbed it.

Now running out of the office with Elza following close behind, and back down the stairs as fast as she could, Claire shoved the door to the museum open. In the span of only a few seconds, the two of them reached the barrier, and this time when the young woman pushed the release button, the alarm stopped as the metal slab vanished back up into the ceiling. Steve had been right about some kind of gas being pumped into the room, and it was being sucked back out through the vents, but the yellowish cloud still left a burning, stinging sensation on her skin when she leaned in to drag Steve out of the room.

He was still conscious, but his head was rolling back and forth, and the young man's skin was reddened as if he had been lying out in the sun all day without lotion… and he was still gripping the golden guns tightly. Once she had dragged him back out into the museum, Claire opened the medical kit she had taken from the Commander's office, and looked inside until she found the burn ointment. The most heavily affected areas were his face and hands, since his jumpsuit must have given him a little protection from the gas… just not where it had been ripped by the barbed wire, and the tube of ointment was so small that she could barely even finish his face and hands.

"Why couldn't he have just put them back?" Elza asked once all the ointment had been used. "It's like one of those hunting traps for raccoons, where all they have to do to get away is let go of the shiny thing."

"Have a heart, Elza, he's hurt." The young woman replied, searching around the kit for any more ointment. "It looks like they didn't expect many burns to happen, and… oh."

This whole First Aid Kit was completely stocked with at least a little bit of what was needed for any emergency, including a bottle at the bottom that said _Hemostatic _on the label. Claire had nearly forgotten all about Rodrigo's injuries after everything that happened, and there wasn't much else that she could do for Steve at the moment, so she took out the bottle, and for a moment debated whether or not she should help the Captain after everything he had done to her since she was captured in Paris.

"Are you _seriously_ going to help _him_?" The blonde woman asked once she saw what Claire was holding. "Why? He's… Claire, he's with _Umbrella_."

"Because I promised I'd help if I could." The young woman replied, taking a deep breath once the decision was made. "Can you stay here and watch Steve? I'll be right back."

She could tell her cellmate didn't want things to happen exactly like this, and Claire had to admit that Steve had a point when he said that Elza was acting a lot like a big sister to her, which wasn't really a _bad _thing, even with giving her a big speech about being careful and coming right back. The young woman wasn't exactly a kid with no experience, hell she had been on her own for most of the time in Raccoon City, and had done just fine, but then again it was nice to have someone care enough to try and look after her… making Claire miss Leon again.

Hopefully he would get her email and be able to send some kind of help, the young woman thought as she left the administration building. Of course, Leon wasn't exactly someone with a lot of pull when it came to, well… anything, but at least someone would know what happened to her. Claire couldn't help smile a little as she made her way back down the blacktop road toward the prison complex, imagining the rookie cop mounting a one man rescue mission to come and get her… part of her really regretted leaving him and Sherry behind so that she could keep looking for her brother.

The HCF invaders must have finished with this side of the island, because there were none of them patrolling around, but that didn't mean that Claire didn't stick to cover the whole distance. There was some good news, though, and that was that if there really _had_ been some kind of viral spill in this place, then it must have been confined to the laboratory, because so far there hadn't been any other monsters or any kind that she had seen so far… no, wait… scratch that.

Getting all the way back to the gate where Steve had tried to shoot them without incident, the young woman's heart sank when she heard a soft moaning sound coming from one of the smaller collapsed buildings where she and Elza had seen the bodies partially buried underneath the wreckage. The arms and legs that had been sticking out were now moving, with groaning in the air as each one tried freeing themselves. The sinking feeling got worse when she saw that this was happening all around the prison, at least with every destroyed building that she could see from there.

Now the young woman had to move quickly, since it was only a matter of time before the whole prison was overrun with zombies. So she ran across the detention facility, ignoring everything else except for her goal of reaching the isolation cells where she and Elza had been detained, and actually feeling a sense of relief upon getting back inside. Raising the pistol in case any of the invaders were there, or worse the zombies had wandered in, Claire made her way back around her old cell, and to the abandoned desk… where she sighed with relief when she saw that Rodrigo was still sitting there.

He was coughing now, the bleeding on his abdomen having gotten worse since the last time they saw each other, and when the Captain saw the pistol she was holding, his first words to her were a question, wondering if she had come back to finish him off. Needless to say, Rodrigo was shocked when she not only lowered the weapon, but then placed the full bottle of Hemostatic medicine on the desk in front of him.

"You… you found medicine for me?" He asked, looking like he was experiencing a dozen conflicting emotions. "But… but, why?"

"If you think I didn't consider leaving you to die, you're wrong." Claire replied, pushing the bottle toward him. "And things are about to get _a lot_ worse on this island, thanks to what you people have been doing to the prisoners, but… you might want to think about some of your life choices."

The whole time the young woman was talking to him, her hand had been shaking while holding her pistol tightly, with the urge to just bring it back up and then just… _end_ this guy, being almost too much to resist. She told herself that she was better than Umbrella, which was why she had to let this man live… this man who had beaten, drugged, and tortured her for _days_ before dumping her in this place where an even worse fate would have claimed her if not for the HCF attack.

"I want you to think _long_ and _hard_ about what you've been doing to people for Umbrella." She continued, turning away as the urge to shoot him became unbearable. "You gave me and Elza a chance to survive, so I'm giving you the same thing… you're on your own from here, though."

Not waiting for his reply, nor even turning around to see his reaction, Claire took off running toward the exit, knowing that if he said another word to her she would have shot him dead. Now the memories of her capture in Paris were flooding back into his mind; the beatings, the strip-searches, the drugs that made her vomit all over herself, it was all just so… painful and humiliating to think about, that the young woman was in tears by the time she got back outside… where every other thought was forgotten when she heard the groan of a zombie that was now shambling its way toward her.

Oh God, Claire thought as she saw that more of them were pulling themselves out from under the rubble of buildings… the monsters were free… now the outbreak had really begun.


	14. Chapter 14 Sniper

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Fourteen: Sniper**

The first thing Claire did after sprinting her way back across the detention facility to the gate, was use the keycard they had found to seal it once again. With a soft _beep_ as the card was scanned, the gate began to slowly roll its way back into place, giving the young woman plenty of time to step back through before it was all the way closed. Every couple seconds another zombie pulled itself free of whichever pile of wreckage it had been trapped under, but her hope was that locking them in the prison camp would give herself and the others enough time to get off the island before they overran the gate.

Did this also leave Rodrigo trapped inside there with them? Sure, but Claire had already gone out of her way to get him the medicine he needed in order to not bleed out, and honestly she already felt that it was more than he deserved. So the young woman headed back toward the administration building, staying low and keeping to cover, regardless of the fact that it had been awhile since she had seen any of the HCF patrols, not that she was complaining. Soon the young woman had reached the building, shouldering open the door and then running across the lobby toward the museum door so that she could see if Steve was…

_Bang_! Crying out in surprise after stepping on a piece of loose floor tile, Claire's feet were suddenly up in the air as she fell backwards, and causing her to slide to a stop against one of the broken tables. Disoriented for a second, and trying to catch her breath, the young woman was about to start trying to get up, when she realized that she had heard a gunshot at the same time she fell… yeah, there was a new hole in the wall behind where she had been standing, and also a red light moving across the floor in a kind of shaky, search pattern… a _laser sight_?

"I _knew_ it!" A familiar, high and squeaky voice declared as the bolt of a rifle was heard moving back and forth. "I just _knew_ that you weren't just another _tart_ from the streets… you're a _highly trained_ tart, _aren't _you, Claire? Only an agent who completed the training provided by this _very_ island could have dodged that shot… so what did you hope to gain by attacking this base, hmm? What was your objective?"

"I don't know anything about the attack!" The young woman called back, readying her pistol. "And what the hell is a _tart_?!"

_Bang_! Firing another shot into the air, most likely to startle her, and succeeding, the Commander of Rockfort Island, Sir Alfred Ashford himself, was sweeping the area, trying to target her with the laser sight on his old bolt action rifle, from where he was standing on the stairs. Thankfully, the table Claire had landed behind was keeping him from lining up a shot, and he wasn't advancing either, playing it safe by keeping his distance, since apparently the Commander believed that she was some sort of highly trained agent of… someone.

"I am not some _peasant_ whom you can deceive, girl!" He loudly continued, moving the bolt back and forth. "I was onto you from the start, or did you think I would believe it to be mere _coincidence_ that my island was attacked less than twenty four hours after _your_ arrival? So, I'll ask you one more time, what are…

_Bang_! This time it was Sir Alfred who was startled, crying out in surprise while firing another shot just as the door to the museum opened, causing Elza and the recently recovered Steve to drop down in reaction to the bullet slamming into the doorframe next to their heads. From the position he had, the Commander pretty much had them pinned down with his rifle, since there was no way to get a shot off with a pistol without coming out into his line of fire.

"Ah, and your _cellmate_, of course." Sir Alfred grumbled, sounding like he was reloading, but finishing before Claire could attack. "Finally put your _own_ escape plan into action now that Subject P-001 escaped containment, did you? Well, it doesn't matter _what_ happens to the Sheena Island Beta Site, because you, my darling Elza, are going to die on this… Steve, is that _you_ down there?"

The young man gasped as soon as the Commander said his name, some of the color draining from his face when Sir Alfred remarked that he had been searching all over the island for him… and even more so when the Commander mentioned that his _sister_ had been missing Steve greatly. Suddenly gritting his teeth while his hands tightened around the two golden guns that he had taken from the museum, the young man growled with anger as he stood up out of cover, aiming both pistols at Sir Alfred.

_Bang_! _Bang_! _Bang_! _Bang_! Steve must have found some bullets inside the museum, because he was now firing both of the weapons at the same time, causing several holes to be put in the wall and giant portrait while the Commander dove up the stairs for cover. Unfortunately, the only thing this barrage of gunfire didn't hit was its target, but it _was _enough of a distraction for the group to get to cover… even though the blonde woman had to pull the young man over to where they could hide behind some of the room's support pillars.

"You stay the hell away from me, you _freak_!" Steve yelled, destroying the plan of keeping their new positions secret. "And that goes _double_ for your _sister_!"

"Come-come, now, Steve." Sir Alfred taunted, laughing a little as he took aim from his new position behind the stairs' guardrail. "Alexia misses you _so_ much, so I'll tell you what… I'll return you to her after I kill these little _gutter-snipes_, and then all will be well."

The young man immediately repeated that he was _never _going back to this _Alexia_ person, and… hey, wasn't _Alexia Ashford_ the name of that pretty girl whose portrait had been hidden behind Sir Alfred's in the museum? Either way, Claire decided to take advantage of the conversation by carefully leaning around the pillar she was hiding behind while trying to aim her own pistol… _Bang_! Sparks flew as a bullet from the rifle glanced off the side of the pillar, forcing her to go back into hiding… damn it, this was going nowhere.

"Oh, just come out already!" The Commander ordered. "I don't have all night!"

"Yeah, and neither do we!" Elza suddenly yelled with a lot of confidence in her voice. "Target is on the stairs, repeat target is on the stairs; all units move in from behind! _Go-go-go_!"

In response to this, Sir Alfred shrieked while turning his rifle toward the hallway behind him… but he was alone. Claire had also been confused by this, until the blonde woman motioned for them to follow when she suddenly sprinted for the doors. _Bang_! The Commander screamed in rage when he also realized that this was a trick, turning back around and firing a shot that struck the door just after the group had rushed through. Regardless of how ridiculous that plan had been, or how close the three of them had come to getting shot, at least now they were back outside… where it was no less dangerous.

Okay, so far the increasing tally of threats on the island consisted of the HCF invaders, and remaining Umbrella guards, the zombies who were roaming around both the laboratory and the detention complex, and now Sir Alfred who was… actually pretty good with that bolt action rifle of his. Elza's clever trick had bought their small group the time they needed to escape from the administration building, but that didn't mean that the Commander of Rockfort Island was just going to let them go, especially now that he somehow blamed Claire for the attack… so where were they going to go?

The only way left for them to explore was to keep heading toward where Steve said the air field was, but from what the blonde woman had seen on the security monitors that were still functioning in the Commander's office, the air field also happened to be where the HCF invaders had established their base of operations… or at least it looked that way. But hey, at least the mystery of how Steve knew so much about the island had been solved, although one thing about it was strange… the Alexia in the portrait had been really attractive, so why would a young man like him be upset about having to be her play toy?

"We don't have a choice, Elza, we need to get off this island _now_." Steve argued after they ducked behind another overturned truck. "Alfred might not look like much, but trust me, that guy is all _kinds_ of twisted, and… and we need to go before he finds us again."

"What's wrong, kid? Commitment issues?" The blonde woman taunted while watching in case Alfred came out of the building. "Couldn't handle all the new clothes and having to eat more than once a day? Unless you've been violently sodomised by _eight_ different men since you've been here, you can keep the _pity party_ to yourself."

"Hold on a second, you two." Claire interrupted, realizing something while looking at the doors. "Why hasn't he come after us yet?"

It had been expected that Sir Alfred would chase them out of the administration building and continue trying to shoot them, but neither of these things had happened, as if the Commander had lost interest in the three of them as soon as they went back outside. No matter his reasoning, it was another opportunity to escape, and since there was no sign of remaining guards or HCF invaders, it was decided that it was time to move on. However, the air field was still pretty far away, and Elza still didn't want to try stealing one of their planes until the group was better armed… and then Claire remembered both Steve and Alfred mentioning some kind of military training facility.

"A place like that is _sure_ to have weapons and supplies." The young woman said quietly as they continued down the road, past more destroyed small buildings and broken fences. "I'd trade _all_ of it for a working phone, though."

That sentiment was shared by the others, but Claire was suddenly not so sure about going inside once she saw the building Steve led them to. It had two floors, and was made of brick and concrete like the administration building, but it was a lot more modern, and the shape of it somehow reminded the young woman of a small high school. A sign had once been in front of it, but appeared to have been destroyed in the attack since a small crater was next to what remained of its wooden base, but… it was so small… how was _this_ a training center?

"Remember, I've never been inside this place." The young man warned as they approached the metal double doors. "But from what I've heard the guards who went through saying… let's just make sure we stick together."


	15. Chapter 15 Military Training Facility

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Fifteen: Military Training Facility**

When entering a place that was referred to as a _military training facility_, Claire was expecting a Spartan design and maybe an indoor firing range, or a gym with a running track or something, but this place, it just… didn't fit the bill. The floor was the same kind of brown square tile as the administration building, with tan colored walls and ceiling fans that were making a soft _squeak_ as they slowly turned around. The heaters in this building were definitely working, since the fans were the only thing keeping it circulating so the three of them didn't sweat to death, but… at least there were no guards around… or anyone else for that matter.

To the immediate right was a stairway that went up to the second floor, and the area the group was standing in looked almost like a reception lobby with its cheaply made waiting chairs against the wall, along with small reception desk and a row of payphones… payphones, really? Who would a bunch of trainee Umbrella operatives need to call, anyway? What, would it be like… '_hi, Aunt Mildred, this is Johnny, yeah I'm good, just arrived at Umbrella's Stormtrooper academy, give love to Uncle Louie, see you at Christmas'_?

Beyond that there were two more doors to choose from; a side door and the start of a hallway that turned sharply to the left, but with no labels on the doors, nor any directory signs on the walls… it was really anyone's guess where to start. Strangest part, though, was that unlike the administration building and pretty much everywhere else that the young woman had seen on the island so far, this facility seemed to have gotten through the HCF attack with barely getting a scratch.

"Phones aren't working." Steve said, hanging up the receiver after trying the first in the row. "Not really sure who we could call, even if it was, though."

"Well, in places like this, the most important people's offices are usually upstairs." Elza commented, looking toward the stairway. "Maybe we can find the Commandant's office or something, or at least find a directory so we aren't stumbling around blind."

"You don't think we should check out the first floor, well… first?" Claire asked, glancing at the side door. "I mean, what if there's a shooting range or an armory right through there, and then we have to backtrack?"

The blonde woman looked at both options for a minute, and then nodded to her before starting toward the wooden door on the side wall. It was unlocked, squeaking softly on its hinges as it opened to reveal what looked like the locker room for a gym. With walls and floor made of white tile, there was a row of narrow lockers along the perimeter, as well as a double stacked row of shorter ones with bigger storage space. A long row of fluorescent lights illuminated the room to the point where it was almost too bright for the young woman's eyes, and there was a rusty sort of copper smell… probably because of the blood.

Gasping when she saw the gruesome scene behind the row of shorter lockers, Claire saw that just like with the guardhouse and the laboratory, a massacre had taken place there. About a dozen guards were lying on the floor with their bodies riddled with bullet holes, as were the lockers and wall behind them, but something was different. Each of them was wearing boots and kneepads along with their uniform pants, but their vests and helmets were scattered on the floor nearby as if they had been made to remove them. All of their knees were bent, and upon further inspection it could be seen that their hands were bound behind their backs with flex-cuffs.

"The HCF must have captured these guards during the attack." Elza commented while looking them over. "Probably took their weapons, tied them up, and made them kneel… and then shot them whether or not they knew anything useful."

"It's _awful_." Claire replied, having to turn away. "Who would have thought there was another group out there even _worse_ than Umbrella?"

"I'm glad they finally got a taste of their own medicine." Steve added, scoffing at the dead guards. "Now _they_ get to know how it feels to be on this end of things."

Part of the young woman wanted to chew him out for being so insensitive since she believed that no one deserved to be treated like that, not even Umbrella soldiers, but… it was also hard to feel sorry for the people who had nearly beaten her to death, and who would have happily done to her the same things they had been doing to Elza for the past few months if not for the attack. Her cellmate, on the other hand, didn't seem to be wasting any time with the bodies themselves, but instead looking through the nearby lockers.

Once again it seemed like all the firearms had been taken by the invaders, leaving only the bodies of Umbrella guards in their wake. Aside from the ones on the floor, a couple were discovered sitting on the toilets with their pants down as if the attack came so suddenly that there was no time to react. Judging by all the holes in the stall doors, the invaders had simply shot through them instead of bothering to see if anyone was inside… one was even slumped down against the wall between two urinals like he had been peeing and then turned around just in time to be shot.

"It's gonna take a while to check all these lockers." The blonde woman grumbled after finishing with the latest one. "Hey kid, look in the showers over there for anything useful while Claire checks the wall lockers."

"Why would there be anything useful laying in the showers?" The young man asked as he walked over toward the entrance to the shower room. "And for the last time, I'm _not_ a kid, my name is…

Suddenly Steve's words became a scream just as he reached the corner to the shower room, and a figure pounced on him from out of the shadows. His feet slipped on some of the water that was still dripping from the faucets, allowing the figure to tackle him to the ground, causing the golden guns to fall from his grip… and then making Steve scream again when he saw his attacker's discolored skin and glazed over eyes. It was a zombie just like the ones in the lab; naked with several bullet wounds in its back as if he had been caught in the middle of a shower… and the fact that this zombie's body was dripping wet from the faucet that was still running was making it hard for Steve to keep its teeth from sinking into him.

"Hold on, Steve!" Claire shouted, aiming her pistol. "Try to push its head up so I can get a… _oh, shit_!"

While trying to aim at the head of the zombie attacking the young man, she almost didn't notice the movement around her feet as some of the other guards on the floor began to come to life. With their wrists bound behind their backs, the zombies couldn't exactly get to their feet, so instead the nearest one started biting at her feet like an animal, forcing the young woman to jump up onto the ledge that the wall lockers were sitting on. This made it easy to kick the snapping zombie in the head so that she could get to a spot on the floor that was clear, but instead of shooting the infected guard that was attacking Steve, she was forced to turn her pistol toward the ones who were getting off the toilets.

_Bang!_ _Bang_! It took her first two shots to take down the one coming out of the first stall, hitting it once in the throat and then between the eyes, and thankfully the second zombie's pants were still around its ankles, causing it to trip over itself and smack its head on the floor hard enough to create a small puddle of blood. There was a flash of light and noise when the young woman put one into the back of its head just to be safe, finally allowing her to help Steve… only to discover that Elza was stabbing the naked zombie in the side of the head with a long combat knife that… she must have found in one of the lockers, since she didn't have it before.

"We gotta get out of here!" The blonde woman exclaimed, giving Steve a hand to his feet. "Come on, Claire, go!"

There wasn't an immediate danger from the zombies who were trying to scoot across the floor like inchworms, but then a groaning was heard from back in the darkened area of the showers, before two more naked zombies started shambling their way toward the small group. With the young man reclaiming his golden guns, these infected monsters shouldn't have been a problem, but then the door at the back of the locker room was pushed open, revealing several more of them who were now trying to push past each other in order to get into the room first.

Yeah… it was _definitely _time to go, Claire thought as the zombies got closer. So the three of them rushed back toward the door back into the lobby. There was no way a bunch of T-Virus infected people could keep up with them, but they still ran back into the lobby and pulled the door shut with a loud _slam_! A key was needed to lock the door, and since they didn't have it there was only a matter of time before the infected made their way into the lobby.

"Here, use this!" Steve yelled, grabbing a small broom from next to a filing cabinet behind the reception desk. "Wedge the door!"

He passed it to the blonde woman, who jammed it into the handle of the door so that it became locked against the doorframe, and not a moment too soon, since right after that there was groaning heard from inside the locker room… and the door began to shake. Hopefully the zombies in there would give up after a while, or at least before the broom broke, since it was just a small thing used for cleaning… not much at all. So it was decided that they were going to leave the lobby before that happened, but… which way should they go?

"Let's check upstairs before those _things_ get free." Elza said, gesturing toward the staircase they had seen earlier. "Come on, Claire."

"No way, let's go down that hallway." Steve argued pointing in the opposite direction. "Maybe this time we _won't_ walk right into a death trap… come on, Claire, follow _me_ this time."

Without waiting for her response, the young man took off running across the lobby, vanishing down the darkened hallway even before Claire was finished calling for him to come back. In situations like this, splitting up was a horrible idea, as she had learned well back in Raccoon City; remembering how relieved she had felt each time Leon was there with her, only to get a sinking feeling a short time later when they became separated due to whichever ridiculous event came next.

"Steve!" The young woman called loudly. "Steve, come back!"

"He'll come back on his own." Elza said, stopping Claire by grabbing her arm when she started after him. "Come on, we need to find anything we can from this place before those zombies get out."

She didn't want to leave the young man out there on his own, but the blonde woman was right, and it was only a matter of time before the infected escaped the locker room, unless they decided to get up. So with a deep breath, she turned away from the corridor, turning toward the stairs and following Elza up toward the training center's second floor.


	16. Chapter 16 Proving Ground

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Sixteen: Proving Ground**

After reaching the top of the stairs, the two women found themselves at the beginning of another hallway like the one that Steve had disappeared down back on the first floor, although at first glance it was a lot shorter than Claire had expected. Like downstairs, this part of the facility had managed to get through the HCF attack with barely taking any visible damage… even though the first door they came to seemed to have lost its doorknob. However, instead of the missing piece just lying there on the tile floor, the knob was nowhere to be found, sort of like it had been removed on purpose, but that… was ridiculous.

"Why would someone just take off a random doorknob?" The young woman asked, looking over the thick wooden door. "You think they just kept it in their pocket or something?"

"I think they removed it to hide something from those HCF guys." Elza replied as she knelt down in front of it. "I think maybe I can open it through the hole here… can you see if you can find me something narrow and hard; metal preferably, but wood or plastic works too."

There was nothing like that in any of the rooms that Claire had already explored in this building, leaving her only option to continue down the corridor, where the passageway opened up into a small square shaped room that contained a vending machine of all things. Aside from the machine, a couple chairs, and another door at the far end that had a red indicator light above it, there was nothing of interest inside… hmm, it looked almost like a waiting room, but what was the purpose of…

_Beep-beep-beep_! Her thoughts were interrupted upon entering the waiting room when her leg broke through an invisible laser beam, causing a sharp, high-pitch alarm to go off at the same time that a metal shutter came slamming down in the doorway behind her. Oh crap, the young woman thought, realizing that she had just walked into a trap of some kind, but the indicator light on the other door was still red, and there was no visible way to open the shutter, at least not from inside the waiting room.

"_Welcome home, Claire_." Sir Alfred's high pitch voice crackled through the room's intercom speaker high up in the corner. "_I see you couldn't resist returning to your old training grounds... now, if you were in Raccoon City during the outbreak as you claim, then you must have been part of Hunk's team that went in to retrieve the G-Virus, yes? So, if you were willing to do all that for the company, what was it that made you eventually turn your back on Umbrella, hmm_?"

Claire didn't know who this _Hunk_ person was, but she _did _remember seeing the bodies of a dozen Umbrella Special Forces members down in the sewers below Raccoon City. Sherry's father, William Birkin had injected himself with a sample of the virus after being shot by them and left for dead, resulting in himself mutating into a monster that not only killed the whole team, but also nearly killed the young woman and her friends several times before they eventually escaped.

"_Anyone_ who was in Raccoon City would have turned their back on Umbrella." The young woman replied defiantly… unable to think of anything else. "You know it's only a matter of time before the whole world sees the truth, right? And then every last one of you are gonna go down right along with your _precious_ company."

"_Indeed… oh well, whatever happens, you won't be there to see it, I'm afraid_." The Commander said, laughing in such a way that his squeaky cackling hurt her head. "_As you know from your time here, the only way out is forward, but you should know, Claire, that I've made a few changes to the course over the past few years. Try not to disappoint me by dying too quickly_."

With another round of that horrible laughter, the intercom system shut down so that the loud feedback coming from the speaker could no longer be heard, allowing Claire to finally hear the frantic banging on the other side of the metal shutter. Elza's muffled voice was heard as well, calling out to the young woman and wanting to know if she was all right. She was for the moment, since she was alone in the small waiting room, but then there was a sharp beep when the indicator light above the next door turned green.

"Claire, just stay where you are, all right?" The blonde woman called from on the other side. "I'm gonna see if I can find another way to open the shutter, or another way around to get to you."

Now the young woman could hear her cellmate's rapid footsteps fading as she ran back down the hallway looking for a way to help her, leaving Claire alone. So far nothing had attacked her, apparently all waiting for her to pass through that door, but before doing anything she needed to take care of how thirsty she was. A few hours must have passed by now since the little bit of food she and Elza had managed to get at the guardhouse, and the young woman's mouth was getting pretty dry, so she walked up to the vending machine and pushed the button just to see what would happen… and was shocked when a bottle of _Gatorade_ was dispensed.

So what, did Umbrella buy all these vending machines she had seen and fly the drinks out themselves? Had to be, since it wasn't likely that the drink company sent people all the way out there being like _hey, I'm here to restock the machines on your secret base_. No matter how it got there, it was nice to have a cold drink going down her throat, and before she knew it, Claire had finished the whole bottle. For a second the young woman looked around for a trash can, but then just tossed the bottle on the floor because fuck Umbrella… and now she had no choice but to continue on through the next door.

The handle turned easily, and the door swung open with barely a sound, but there was far less light in the next area, which consisted of a narrow section of concrete floor. It was some kind of walkway that hugged the wall on one side, and provided a short wall to stop people from falling over the edge on the other, kind of like the one above the lobby at the RPD. This one was a bit higher up, however, and since the only lights in the area were coming from below, Claire was able to look over the edge and see a big open area… that she had no way to get to.

Suddenly her attention was returned to the walkway when a kind of shuffling sound reached her ears, followed by the familiar groan of someone who had been infected with the T-Virus. There was barely enough light to see the shadow of the shambling figure as it approached from the other side of the room, but at least the young woman still had her pistol. _Bang_! Illuminating the area with a flash of light and noise, Claire was glad to see that the monster was alone, but that first shot only made it groan when the bullet struck it in the chest, and the returning darkness made it almost impossible for her to aim at its head.

_Bang! Bang!_ Firing off two more shots while the zombie kept getting closer, the young woman's aim was getting closer, first hitting it in the throat and then just barely grazing its head… why did these damn things have to constantly sway back and forth like that? That grazing shot to the side of its head seemed to disorient it for a moment, causing the infected man to stumble and lean heavily on the low guard wall… and there was no reason for her to not take advantage of that.

_Whack_! Rushing toward the zombie before it could recover, the young woman swung her pistol so that it cracked against the monster's skull, forcing it to lean far enough over the wall in order for her to push it the rest of the way. The zombie groaned as it tumbled down over the side, crashing down hard onto the floor of the open chamber below, and now that it was in the glow of the lower room's light fixtures, Claire was able to see that it had once been a prisoner like her and Elza. It wore the same orange jumpsuit and black collar, but at least now the monster's suffering was over and… no, wait a second, it was getting back up.

With a groan that echoed off the concrete walls, the zombie slowly started to sit up so that it could stand, but the young woman wasn't about to waste any more of her already limited supply of bullets, since there didn't appear to be a way for the monster to get back up to her, so Claire continued on. The walkway continued hugging the wall as it moved around the room, leading her to yet another door, and since there were zombies loose inside the training center, she was a little more cautious before trying to open it.

The one good thing about those infected monsters was that they weren't capable of being stealthy, so she put her ear up to the door, but… couldn't hear anything except an electrical humming sound that also made the door vibrate a little. With all that background noise, there was no way for her to be able to tell what was lurking beyond the door, so Claire was forced to open it just a little, and then blinking rapidly to get used to the much brighter light that was coming from inside.

Several work lights on tripods were spaced out around the room, which explained why it was so bright, and the humming sound was coming from the small generator that was powering them… the one that was sitting right next to a dead body. And not just any body, but one in black riot gear that had the letters HCF on the front. The invaders must have been trying to secure the training facility when… when what? This dead man didn't have any bullet holes in him, nor were there any bite marks that she could see when she knelt down to examine him… but what was visible on him was the _MAC 11_ Machine Pistol that was slung over his arm.

Just as the young woman was taking possession of the weapon by getting it off his arm, there was a growling sound from behind, and Claire gasped when she saw the creature that was most likely the cause of the HCF man's death coming into the work light's field of illumination. At the moment all she could see was that it was big and hulking, growling again as she grabbed the machine pistol and took aim just as this… deformed monstrosity was entering the light, and pulled the trigger.

_Click_.


	17. Chapter 17 Bandersnatch

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Seventeen: Bandersnatch**

Feeling as though her stomach had just dropped down through the floor the moment her newfound weapon clicked empty, Claire could only remain in the kneeling position as the creature waddled its way into the light. Brown in color, it looked like it could have once been a man, but instead of skin the thing's body was covered in a partially transparent material that allowed her to see some of the features of its skull. This monster was stocky with short legs, but the strangest part was that it possessed only a single arm.

Good thing it was so slow moving, giving the young woman time to drop the machine pistol and take out her 9mm… or at least she _thought_ there was time. Instead of running or leaping at her, which Claire was ready for, the monster simply reached outward with its single arm, giving her only enough time to gasp in shock as its appendage managed to reach her. It stretched, elongating itself as the back of its clawed hand struck her in the side, only to immediately retract like one of those _Stretch Armstrong_ dolls.

Even though the attack had barely grazed her, there was enough force behind the blow to knock her down, causing her to drop the pistol. Scrambling for it, the young woman was almost there, when the creature's elongated arm came at her again, this time making her scream in a flash of sudden pain when it clamped down onto her leg. _Whack_! Pulled out from under her so quickly that the back of her head struck the floor, it took Claire a second to realize that she had been picked up, now hanging upside down while the grip on her leg got tighter and tighter, feeling like it was about to break.

_Crash_! Suddenly the sound of breaking glass reached her ears, and then the young woman fell to the floor when the monster's arm suddenly released. She tumbled painfully to the floor, but was then able to see that the glass of a window above and behind the creature was what she had heard breaking… as someone fell through it. That person was Steve Burnside, and apparently he had thrown himself right through the glass, distracting the monster when he landed right on top of it. This was great, since it allowed Claire to get away, but now it was the young man who was in trouble when he bounced right off the creature's body and fell to the floor right next to it.

He tried to aim his golden guns, but the monster was too fast, stopping him simply by raising up its leg and then pressing its clawed foot down into his back. Now it was the young man who was screaming as he felt the pressure of the creature's weight, but this action had given Claire the time she needed to get her pistol. _Bang! Bang!_ Firing two shots, the brown monster growled in what sounded like annoyance when the bullets slammed into its body, causing it to take its foot off Steve in order to face her, but as for the bullets… they were now simply suspended inside of its outer covering as if pieces of fruit inserted into _Jell-O_.

As soon as he was free, the young man got up to a kneeling position while aiming both golden guns, and then the dark part of the room was illuminated when he began to fire both of them. _Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!_ The monster growled again, stumbling backwards while a dozen bullets penetrated its outer covering, but as soon as both of the golden guns were empty, the creature seemed to recover instantly. Claire's next shot managed to distract it so that Steve could fall back to where she was, but how were they supposed to deal with this creature if bullets didn't hurt it?

"Claire, we gotta go!" The young man yelled, dropping his empty golden guns and picking up the machine pistol. "Come on!"

He aimed the weapon at the slowly approaching monster, only to gasp like she had when he found out it was empty, but then Steve started pulling open the dead HCF man's pouches, grabbing as many extra clips for it as he could before the two of them were forced to retreat once again. There was no way to go back the way Claire had come in, since the monster was in the way, not to mention the locked door… but maybe there was another door somewhere in the darkened areas of the room.

_Yes_! There was a metal door on the wall opposite of the way she had come in, becoming visible as soon as the work lights were no longer blinding her, so the young woman ran over to it and tried the latch. The good news was that it turned easily, but nothing happened when she tried to pull it open… it wasn't locked, in fact it felt like the door was trying to open, but… something was stopping it. Maybe there was a second lock, or a bar put across it, or…

"Oh no." Claire whispered when she felt the hardened ridges of metal that had been built up between the door and its frame. "It's welded! Steve, someone welded the door shut!"

"_Oh goodness me, did I forget to mention that_?" Sir Alfred's voice laughed over the intercom speaker as the monster got closer. "_I realized that before, all you had to do was survive the prototype creatures long enough to escape, but since you've already completed the training in the past, I thought, well… this time you'll actually have to kill one_."

That awful, high pitch laughter started to come through the speaker, but was silenced when the young man fired the first shot of his now reloaded machine pistol, destroying it. _Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta!_ Now turning the weapon toward the monster, Steve emptied the entire clip into the creature, making it growl again while stumbling backwards as little pieces of its outer covering were blown off. This was only a temporary solution, since it didn't seem to be taking any actual damage… damn it, if only they had some kind of grenade launcher, or a… grenade.

Looking down at the dead HCF man, Claire realized that she had been so focused on his main weapon before, that she hadn't even bothered to see what else he was carrying. There was a knife, no good here… a canteen of water, not useful at the moment… and a grenade. Not just any grenade, but a large one with the word _INCENDIARY_ on the side, and the young woman didn't even think as she pulled it from the pouch and removed the pin. Steve stopped shooting when he saw the small canister fly past, just kind of staring at it until gasping when the young woman tackled him to keep out of the way.

_FWOOSH_! Instead of an explosion like she was expecting, there was simply a wave of heat that rushed through the room while the monster was consumed in a flash of red fire. Now it was roaring as if in actual pain, its body coated with a layer of fire that seemed to be melting through its outer covering even after the explosion was finished. Growling with a mixture of pain and anger, the creature lashed out at them with its elongating arm, but the incendiary fire was doing such a good job of melting through its skin that the whole arm actually fell off halfway through the attack, causing the clawed hand to land on the floor right in front of them while it continued melting.

Needless to say the creature was finished, letting out one last growl before collapsing into a melting pile of… whatever it was made of, although Steve seemed pretty happy in the current situation of Claire laying on top of him. He smiled a bit when they looked at each other, and she did too a little, but there was no time for this... no matter how hot the young man was, the two of them needed to get out of there, so she moved off of him, and then they both got to their feet. There was no way of knowing what else Sir Alfred had in store for them, so escape was top priority.

"You know, Claire, monsters aside, it's kind of nice not having your sister around." The young man said while they looked around for another way out. "But you don't have to worry, because _I'll_ keep you safe."

This statement didn't really fill the young woman with confidence, partially because Steve hadn't actually killed the stretching monster, but… well, he did throw himself through a window and jump on the thing, and… that was actually pretty brave. Maybe Elza was being way too hard on him, since it had been confirmed that they were all prisoners in this place before the attack, and Claire was starting to believe that the young man could be a great help to them if given a fair chance.

"All right, so how do we get out of here?" She asked, looking over at the window. "Your entrance was great, but I don't see a way for us to get up there."

"Well, I didn't have a lot of time to figure things out when that thing had you, Claire." Steve replied, a little sharply. "I don't see anything we can use to climb up there, but… you didn't see any other doors or ways out, or _anything_ before you got in here?"

Sir Alfred had locked the way in, and besides that there was only that long drop to the wide chamber below the walkway where she had dropped the zombie, but… that was a _long_ way down. In reaction to hearing about this, the young man immediately rushed out of the room and back onto the darkened walkway, returning a moment later in order to take a look at the work lights that were around the room. Next he went over to the generator and started unhooking them, allowing the cold and darkness outside the window to come rushing in.

"What are you doing?" The young woman asked, suddenly shivering without the heat from the lights. "How are we supposed to see without those?"

"As lights they don't really help us that much." Steve explained, leaving one of the lights on so that he could see what he was doing. "But I think I found a way to get us out of here… you can thank me later."

Kneeling in the light of the last lamp, the young man started to weave their heavy industrial power cables together, and the result almost looked both strong and long enough to get them down to that wide open area, if that was his plan. That zombie was still down there, but after dealing with that stretching monster, what was a single zombie? Nothing, that's what, so she helped him, moving into the light and helping Steve to finish the last of the weaves that would hopefully allow them to escape.


	18. Chapter 18 Family Ties

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Eighteen: Family Ties**

Claire had her doubts as to whether or not the makeshift rope would be strong enough to support them, or long enough for that matter, but surprisingly it worked. Even though the two of them were similar in size, the young woman was slightly smaller, so she went first while Steve stayed up on the walkway to make sure it stayed tied around the railing. The industrial cables were slippery and she almost lost her grip once or twice, but soon Claire's feet touched the concrete floor of the vast chamber below.

"All right, I made it." She called up, taking a quick look around for that zombie she had dropped before. "Come on down."

There was no sign of the zombie so far, so the young woman held the bottom of the cable steady while Steve started making his way down. It seemed to take him a little longer than her, with a couple scares where he nearly fell off completely, but then Claire's concern for him was briefly forgotten when an almost human sounding groan reached her ears… from right behind her. Letting go of the rope and turning around while reaching for her pistol, the young woman screamed as she was tackled to the floor by the same zombie she had dealt with earlier.

"Claire, what happened?!" The young man called down from above. "Are you all right?! Hold on, I'm coming!"

Unable to answer him due to the fact that she was doing everything she could to keep the zombie's partially rotted teeth from sinking into her flesh, Claire kept tucked down tightly to keep it from grabbing onto her, while pressing her elbow into its neck to keep its head away. For the moment this was working, but everything that had happened to far tonight had left the young woman exhausted, so it was only a matter of time before her arms gave out.

She tried reaching for the pistol on her belt, but that required letting go of the zombie's wrist, and it started to gain control the instant this happened, forcing her to grab it again. A soft thud was heard as Steve's feet hit the ground, and once he saw what was happening, the young man leaped into action, aiming his reloaded machine pistol at the monster and… and just standing there like a statue. His eyes were wide, while his hands were shaking, but the two of them had already faced so much worse than a zombie, so what was wrong.

"Steve!" The young woman called desperately as the zombie started to overpower her. "Steve, help me! Shoot it!"

"But… no… I can't." He whimpered with all the confidence gone from his voice. "I… I can't."

Claire's arms were shaking with the effort of pushing the zombie on top of her back, but this was only delaying the inevitable, because virus infected monsters didn't get tired, and now the zombie was drooling on her cheek while those horrible teeth got closer to the young woman's face, all while the young man who had sworn to protect her just stood there like a goon. She called for him several more times, with those teeth getting closer and closer, until finally Claire closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and screamed.

Honestly, she probably hadn't emitted such a high-pitch, ear splitting shriek since she was about twelve, but the shock of hearing this seemed to be just what her companion needed to make him take action. His whole body shook for a second as if he had just been slapped in the face, but then he aimed the machine pistol at the zombie, and pulled the trigger, finally helping her to understand what the issue with this zombie was.

"_Father_!" He screamed as the bullets began flying.

The zombie groaned and started convulsing as the bullets tore into its ribs and face, with a couple of them causing a stinging sensation while grazing her arm and stomach, since she and it were so close together. Once they were separated, however, there was no more danger of getting shot, since Steve kept the weapon aimed right at it until he ran out of ammo, and then he just stood there… becoming like a statue again while staring down wide-eyed at the monster who… had this thing really once been his father?

It was a little hard to move now, thanks to how badly her stomach and arms were stinging… thank God the stray bullets hadn't hit her more directly, leaving her groaning almost as loudly as a zombie while struggling to get up to a sitting position. Claire wasn't bleeding, her skin was just red from where the bullets burned across, but she needed help if she wanted to get to her feet, but Steve was still unresponsive. He just stood there looking at the bullet-riddled zombie for the longest time, but then he suddenly moved, dropping to his hands and knees while the machine pistol hung on his arm by its sling.

"Father." The young man whimpered, his voice breaking as tears started to flow. "Oh God… my father."

Claire wanted to say something to comfort him, but had no idea what words to use in a situation like this, so she just stayed quiet, at least until Steve broke the silence. He was a little hard to understand while crying, but apparently his father was once a pretty high level employee at Umbrella, but he got greedy and started selling off secrets to the highest bidder. Of course he got caught, how could he have expected not to? But no matter what his plan was, it was only a matter of time before the company took action.

"It was late; dad had just got home, and we were just sitting down to dinner." He continued, wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his jumpsuit. "Mom was carrying the roast over to the table when the guards knocked down the door, and… and they just started shooting. Me and dad dropped down to the floor, but mom got hit, and… and she died, and… and they arrested us."

From there, Steve and his father were brought to Rockfort Island, but while his father was treated in the same degrading and painful manner that Claire and Elza had been, Sir Alfred had singled the young man out. Instead of being stripped and beaten, Steve was allowed to bathe and given newer looking clothes, and it was then that the Commander told him about his sister and her need for a companion.

"Alfred said my dad would be safe as long as I kept Alexia happy." The young man continued, crying a little less. "But he lied, and everything I… everything I went through all these months… the pain and then humiliation… they killed him anyway."

Apparently Steve had been on the island for months, even longer than Elza, and he had done his best to keep Sir Alfred's sister happy, but according to the young man, she was a sadistic monster, and although he wasn't very forthcoming with any details, Claire got the idea. Just like her cellmate had been forced to satisfy the guards now and then in exchange for things like a shower, Steve, well… he was Alexia's plaything for the whole time. God, if not for the attack, this all could have happened to Claire as well.

"Steve… I'm sorry." The young woman said softly, pulling herself to her feet. "I don't know what to…

"It's not your fault, it's _his_!" The young man yelled, startling her with the amount of anger suddenly in his voice. "How could he do something so stupid, and put his family at risk like that?! Mom's dead because of _his_ greed, and I… I don't know what I'm supposed to do, I… just give me a minute."

Now he was crying again, but Claire didn't blame him, considering everything that happened. This was all a lot for him to process, so the young woman was willing to give him some time alone if needed. It was a bad idea to be alone for any length of time in a place like this, but she said that all she was going to do was find a way back outside. After all, she had been able to navigate the RPD by herself, so getting outside shouldn't have been a problem… as long as she didn't go too far from the building, and… maybe she would even run into Elza.

The old fashioned light fixtures in this area cast a dim glow on everything, allowing her to see that there was only one door. It was metal like the ones upstairs, but what was surprising so far was that Sir Alfred hadn't commented on her progress in a while, so… was he still watching? Regardless, Claire tried the latch, sighing with relief when it opened, and finding a long stone staircase going upward. There was no sign of any danger so far, so she quietly started climbing, hearing the door close behind her, and then going up… and up… and up until the air started getting cold again.

Another metal door awaited her at the top, and this one was cold to the touch, but all she could hear from the other side upon putting her ear to it was the wind blowing. Carefully turning the latch in case there was anyone or anything outside, the young woman shivered when the cold winter air blew in as soon as she opened it, and she was definitely outside again, but this place looked a bit different than the rest of the island. Claire figured that she must have come out on the other side of the training complex… and there was a good amount of light off in the distance, along with the sound of… engines?

This place was some kind of decorative courtyard with white pavers along the ground, and even a large fountain in the center, which she used to climb up to get a better view of the… air field? _Yes_! Across a couple fences and an open field, the young woman could see airplanes of several kinds in the glow of the field's incredibly bright lights. Well, finding a plane to steal was part of the plan anyway, so now all she had to do was gather her friends, and…

"Do you know what's funny?" A deep yet familiar voice said from behind her. "My men swore to me that they found _all_ the surviving prisoners on this backwater rock… and yet here you are, in plain sight."

Nearly slipping as she turned around, Claire had to hold onto the top of the fountain while looking at her unexpected visitor; a tall man with slicked back blond hair, wearing black clothes with a light tactical vest… along with a pair of dark sunglasses.


	19. Chapter 19 A Familiar Face

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Nineteen: A Familiar Face**

Having to rub her eyes to make sure that she wasn't seeing things as she got down from the fountain, Claire couldn't believe her sudden luck that she not only knew this blond haired man, but that he was a close colleague of her brother. Well, technically this sunglasses wearing man, Captain Albert Wesker, was Chris's superior back at the RPD, but as far as the young woman knew units like STARS were similar to military squads in how they were more like a family than anything else.

"Captain Wesker, is that really you?" She asked, still limping a bit from when the stretching monster grabbed her leg. "I know it's been a couple years since I went off to college, but I'm Claire Redfield, Chris's sister… do you remember me?"

The blond haired man didn't say anything to this, instead just staring at her through those impossibly dark sunglasses with a blank look on his face. Claire figured that he must have been genuinely surprised to see her in such a place, probably almost as much as she was to see _him_ there… had he joined her brother in, well… whatever he had been up to since vanishing from Raccoon City last summer? Oh God, was it too much to hope that Chris had come to the island with him after getting a message from Leon?

"Claire… Redfield." Wesker spoke slowly, almost like he was confused. "Yes… I remember you, I just… need a moment to _savor_ this. I'll be honest with you, Claire… finding you here is probably… the _best_ thing that could have happened for me, tonight."

"That's great, I'm, uh… glad to see you, too." The young woman replied, suddenly starting to feel nervous. "Is my brother with you? I can't believe Leon managed to find you guys so fast and…

_Whack_! With a sudden wave of the blond haired man's arm, Claire's words were stopped when the back of his hand struck her across the face with enough force to make the whole world start spinning around her. Wait, no it wasn't the world that was spinning, it was her; stumbling sideways while there had been enough force from the blow to make her spin around several times before falling on her face. The young woman's vision was still spinning even after she fell onto the pavers, tasting a little bit of blood in her mouth as she struggled to get up to her hands and knees… only to have the wind knocked out of her again when Wesker kicked her in the stomach.

His foot had enough strength behind it to scoop her up and throw her several feet across the decorative courtyard, where she was stopped by a sudden impact with the nearest wall, only to land on the ground once again. This time Claire was unable to get up, coughing hoarsely while trying to catch her breath, only to cry out in pain when she felt the blond haired man's powerful hand grabbing onto her hair. Now granted, the young woman didn't weigh very much, but Wesker lifted her off the ground with one hand as if she was weightless, shoving her painfully back up against the wall, and then bringing her to eye-level with him.

"So, Chris _isn't_ here with you… a shame." The blond haired man continued, easily restraining both of her arms with his other hand after she tried to break his grip, pulling them up over her head. "Your brother ruined _everything_ for me, did you know that? And now fate has given me the opportunity to do _anything_ I want to his _precious _little sister… and he's not even here to see it."

Claire didn't understand most of the things that Wesker was saying, since last time she had been with all of them at the RPD right before leaving for college, everyone had been so friendly toward each other. Apparently something had gone _really_ wrong in STARS while she was gone, but what could Chris have possibly ruined for him? It was a little hard to ask questions at the moment, since it felt like her hair was about to be ripped out by a man who… suddenly had superhuman strength… somehow.

"So the question remains… what shall I do to you, hmm?" The blond man asked, letting go of her wrists in order to start very slowly squeezing her throat. "What would hurt your brother the most, I wonder? Should I simply _kill_ you? Should I break _every_ bone in your tiny little body? Or… should you and I get to know each other on a more, shall we say… _intimate_ level?"

All while he was saying these horrific things, the young woman was focused on trying to breath since Wesker's grip on her throat just kept getting tighter until she was flailing around, choking as she struggled to take in air. _Bang_! Having forgotten the pistol on her belt until just now, Claire desperately grabbed for the weapon, firing a shot as soon as it was in her hand, which was supposed to at least scare him into backing off. Unfortunately, his arm moved so fast that it was a blur, grabbing the weapon so that the shot missed completely, and then ripping it from her hands.

In order to do this, the blond haired man had been forced to let go of her throat, allowing the young woman to take in a coughing breath, but then he fired the pistol three more times into the air, before shoving the now red-hot barrel into her mouth. Wesker shoved the pistol's barrel as far down into her throat as it would go, making Claire first gag on it, and then let out a muffled scream when it started to burn her. He just kept trying to shove the weapon in further, almost like he expected her to simply _eat_ the thing, but then quickly pulled it back out, making her scream again when the pistol's front sight raked across the burnt roof of her mouth.

"Little girls shouldn't play with guns, Claire." He said with a smirk, tossing it across the courtyard. "Didn't you learn anything when Tobias put you through the _Scared Straight_ program? Apparently not, since you ended up in prison, anyway."

"Stop… stop… please." Claire begged weakly as blood ran out from her mouth. "Please… I don't know what happened… with you and Chris, but… please… it has to be a… be a misunderstanding… just stop… please."

For a second the young woman thought he was going to stop when he let go of her hair, allowing her to fall to her hands and knees… but then Wesker kicked her in the rear so hard that her face scrapped across the pavers. Grabbing her by the hair again a moment later, Claire screamed as the blond haired man started dragging her across the courtyard, lifting her up almost all the way to a standing position once they had reached the large fountain… and then forcing her whole head underwater. Claire kicked around and grabbed onto his hand to free herself, but she just wasn't strong enough, nor had she been able to take in a breath before being submerged.

"Your brother was always so protective over you, Claire." The blond man said after pulling her back up. "It's just going to break his little heart when he sees what's left of you when I'm finished. What's that, dear heart? You want another drink?"

_Bang_! _Bang_! Wesker had just shoved her head underwater a second time, when two muffled gunshots rang out, and this time the hands that restrained her were forced to let go. Coughing and gagging for breath as she rolled out of the fountain and back onto the pavers, Claire had to blink a couple times before she was able to see the blond man standing there holding his side where he had been shot… and Elza holding the young woman's lost pistol a short distance away.

"Get away from her right the hell _now_!" The blonde woman ordered, keeping the weapon aimed. "On the ground, _right now_, with your hands behind your back, or you're gonna get it again!"

"Oh, one of us _is_ going to get it, but not me." Wesker chuckled, revealing that his wound had already closed up when he took his hand away. "It seems the lovely Ms. Redfield could use a short rest, so I'll play with _you_ for the time being, and… judging by your open chamber… that was your last bullet, correct?"

Claire and Elza both looked at the empty pistol at the same time, and even though the young woman still had more ammo, there was no way to get it to her cellmate before the blond man started walking toward her. Dropping the weapon, Elza took the combat knife she had found at the training facility from its sheath, crouching down into a defensive position while the approaching blond man just smirked, but a sudden beeping sound from his equipment made him stop.

"What is it? This _better_ be good." Wesker said after touching the small earpiece he was wearing. "No, I'm by the training center… wait, what did you say? No, that's impossible… no, no, form a perimeter… don't do anything… no, _do_ nothing, _touch _nothing, I'm on my way."

Now the blond man looked at the two women, and then off toward another direction on the island as if trying to decide which was more important: His playtime with Elza and Claire, or whatever the issue was with his subordinate on the other end of the line. Gritting his teeth, Wesker let out a frustrated growl before leaping up backwards onto the wall… that had to be at least ten feet high, and then… what the hell? His eyes seemed to flash red behind those sunglasses before he dropped down the other side of the wall, vanishing from sight.

"Claire!" Elza called out, running over to her. "Claire, oh my God, are you all right?!"

Once her cellmate reached her and knelt down to help her sit up, Claire imagined that she would simply get to her feet and then they would continue with the escape plan, but… instead she started crying; grabbing onto Elza and hugging her tightly while her mind was forced to relive the beating she had just taken. The blonde woman returned the hug, reassuring her that she was safe now and that she wasn't going to let anything like that happen to her again… but then her cellmate gasped when something struck her in the throat.

Claire had felt the wind of it passing by, and opened her eyes to see that it was some kind of dart that was now embedded into Elza's neck, making her start to breathe heavy and lose her balance so that soon it was the young woman who was supporting her. A _tranquilizer_ dart?! With a new surge of adrenaline giving her the strength to move, Claire was shifting position to pull Elza out of there, when something sharp stabbed itself into the center of her back.

It had to be another tranquilizer dart, but it had embedded itself into the very center of her back where the young woman couldn't reach it, and soon she had lost her balance, too. Whatever was in the darts, it was fast acting, with only a few seconds passing before her vision began to go dark… then there was a numb feeling throughout her body… and then… sleep.


	20. Chapter 20 Reclusive Sister

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Twenty: Reclusive Sister**

Claire was not sure how long she was unconscious, but the ground felt different when she finally did open her eyes, not that she was able to take much in with how blurry her vision was. Instead of cold stone, it almost felt like a wooden surface that she was lying on, and… and the air around her was warm now as if she had been taken inside one of the nearby buildings. There was a soft crackling sound along with a flickering orange glow… a fire, maybe? For some reason the young woman couldn't bring up her arms to wipe her eyes, so she blinked them repeatedly until everything came into focus.

This place, wherever it was, was unlike any other part of Rockfort Island that she had seen so far, and almost… well, it almost looked like a woman's bedroom. There was a large king-size bed with drawn curtains around it, as well as a wooden vanity that had several containers of makeup and perfume on the shelf in front of the mirror, along with a full length mirror in the corner and partially open door of a walk-in closet where some expensive looking dresses were hanging.

A dim orange glow was being cast by a small lamp on the stand next to the bed, and… wait a second, there was another light source coming from what looked like an old film projector. Yeah, it was one of those old _Super 8_ models that people in the 70's and 80's used to shoot their vacation videos, but the flickering image being cast on the far wall wasn't showing a family vacation… it was of a young boy and girl who were so identical that they could have been twins.

No sound accompanied the film, which showed both of them sitting at a table together in what looked like maybe school uniforms, and they were… uh… they were pulling the legs off a dragonfly? Weird… wait, there was more… once the poor bug had its wings ripped off, the boy tossed it down into some kind of ant farm, where the smaller insects immediately swarmed over their unwilling meal. Both of them watched intently while the insect massacre happened, and then the camera moved back to a close up of the two of them, before the film started back over at the start.

Claire couldn't help noticing that there were a couple differences between the boy and girl, apart from their gender that is; the boy actually had a smaller more feminine looking nose and his eyes were blue, in contrast to the girls slightly more pronounced nose and her pretty green eyes. That was about it, though, and… and the young woman still couldn't move her arms. She struggled a bit from where she was lying on the floor, only to discover that her wrists had been tied behind her back with a plastic zip-tie.

"Are you all right, Claire?" Elza's voice asked form behind her. "Claire?"

"No, I… Elza, I don't feel very good." The young woman answered weakly as another drop of blood ran down from her mouth. "It's hard… it's hard to breathe."

She must have cracked a rib or something during the beating she got from Captain Wesker, because Claire couldn't take more than half a breath before feeling like she was being stabbed in the side. Her head was throbbing, her vision kept going in and out of focus, and her body hurt… everywhere. Coughing suddenly, a little more blood came out of her mouth, and now the pain in the young woman's ribs was a hundred times worse, making her unable to stop herself from crying a little.

"I know it hurts, Claire, but try to hold on." Her cellmate said with a compassionate tone. "We'll get out of this, you'll see, and then we'll get you to a hospital, okay?"

The young woman nodded while the next cough hurt her even worse, and right now more than anything else, she found herself wishing that Leon would suddenly kick down the door and rescue her. Claire imagined that he would fight his way into the room, and then pick her up in his arms and carry her out of this nightmare… God, why hadn't she stayed with him and Sherry after Raccoon City? Why had she insisted on looking for Chris when she knew that he could take care of himself?

Suddenly a door was heard slamming somewhere outside the bedroom, followed by a commotion sort of like two people were fighting. The struggle didn't last long, with Claire hearing the sound of furniture sliding and someone being pushed up against the wall… and then there was the unmistakable sound of punches landing, along with an outcry of pain that sounded a lot like Steve. Whatever was going on out there, it sounded like the young man was losing, and then something heavy landed on the floor.

"You're only going to hurt yourself by struggling." A stern woman's voice said with a British accent. "And it would just break my heart if that lovely face of yours was blemished."

"Let go of me, you freak!" Steve's voice yelled as the struggle was heard resuming. "Get off me!"

More blows were heard landing now, each followed by the young man's grunts of pain, and the occasional _crash_ of something breaking out where they were, but then the commotion moved closer until the bedroom door shook with impact. It sounded like Steve was trying to fight back again, but it wasn't going very well when the door shook two more times, and then it finally opened to reveal the source of all the noise. It was Steve, all right, and he was being restrained by a woman with long blonde hair who… looked oddly familiar.

Apparently wearing high heels and a fancy purple dress hadn't stopped her from defeating the young man in a one on one fight, since she now had him restrained by holding both his wrists behind his back with one hand and tightly gripping his hair with the other. Steve squirmed and tried to throw her off balance, but it just wasn't happening as this woman moved him over to the vanity and then forced him to bend over the shelf while she got a large zip-tie out of the drawer.

"One of these days you'll realize that I _own_ you, Steve." She said, binding the young man's wrists so tightly that he cried out in pain. "But I'm more than happy to discipline you until that time comes."

Pulling Steve back to an upright position and spinning him around, the woman balled up her gloved fist and slugged him in the stomach so that he bent forward a little. She then grabbed him by the cheeks and kissed him deeply for a second, before pushing him sideways and hooking his leg with her foot so that he fell on his face. Once the young man was down, the woman leaned over to the vanity mirror in order to fix her red lipstick that had been smeared a little during the kiss, and now… now Claire was just trying to breathe without it hurting too much.

"My hero." Elza grumbled sarcastically while glaring at the young man. "Look, Claire, Steve's here to rescue us."

"Silence in the presence of your betters." The woman ordered, walking over to a wooden chair and crossing her legs as she sat down. "I don't often take visitors, but I'm left with little alternative when the peasants cause as much trouble as you three… my poor brother is at his wits end."

_Brother_, Claire wondered? Oh, now she was starting to understand why this person looked so familiar; it was because this was the same woman whose portrait was hidden behind Sir Alfred's down in the Ashford museum. If this really was Alexia Ashford, she was much older now, in her late thirties just like her twin brother, and… wow, the two of them really _were_ identical. So had Alexia fired the tranquilizer darts that knocked her and Elza out? And speaking of that, where in the hell were they?

"I already know a great deal about Steve, here… _intimately_." The woman continued, winking at the young man before moving off the chair to kneel down next to the two captive women. "And I've heard a few stories about Ms. Walker, but I know next to nothing about _you_, Claire… you know, you're quite fetching for an unwashed peasant."

"Leave her alone!" Steve called out just as Alexia was caressing Claire's face. "I said get away from her, you…

_Smack_! Turning around and swinging her arm, the woman backhanded the young man hard enough to stop his words, before politely asking the young woman to excuse her for a moment. She then moved over to where Steve was laying and straddled him, slamming herself down onto his waist hard enough to make him cough, and then grabbing the front of his orange jumpsuit to make him sit up a little.

"Steve, my love, it's not polite to interrupt when your betters are talking." She explained caressing his cheek with her other hand. "Now if you keep speaking out of turn, then mummy has to punish you, doesn't she?"

As awful and frightening as this whole situation was, Claire didn't understand why the young man had such a repulsed look on his face when Alexia was touching him. Sure, she was old enough to be his mother, but the woman wasn't ugly in the slightest, so… what was his problem? Once Alexia was finished reprimanding him, she moved back over toward the two women, continuing her speech about learning their place and trying to decide what she was to do with them… when Elza suddenly gasped.

Having remained strangely quiet for most of the situation, the blonde woman was looking at Alexia while the film of the boy and girl was replaying, and Claire didn't understand why her cellmate kept looking between the woman and her younger self on the screen, especially when Elza started to chuckle. It looked like the blonde woman was trying to hold it in, but whatever she was thinking about must have been really funny because soon her cellmate had erupted into peels of hysterical laughter, but… what the hell was so funny?

"Stop it!" Alexia ordered, starting to turn red in the face while Elza just laughed harder. "Stop laughing this instant; what on Earth is the matter with…

But this time it was the woman's turn to be interrupted when Elza suddenly brought both her feet up, and slammed them into Alexia's groin as hard as she could. Surprisingly, this kick affected her a lot more than Claire imagined it would, causing the woman to cry out in agony while falling over sideways to the ground, but then the mystery was revealed when Elza raised her feet up again, this time kicking Alexia in the face so hard… that her hair flew off.

No, wait a second… that wasn't hair… it was… a wig? Still groaning in pain, this time with a voice that didn't quite sound so feminine any longer, Alexia looked at them with a scowl, and this time it was Claire's turn to gasp. Now she finally understood both why Steve was so repulsed by her and why Elza had been laughing so hard; it was because this person tormenting them wasn't _Alexia_ at all…

It was Sir Alfred.


	21. Chapter 21 Face in the Mirror

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Twenty One: Face in the Mirror**

It was still really hard for Claire to wrap her mind around the fact that Sir Alfred was _also_ the sister that he had claimed was reclusive, which meant that Steve had actually been forced to be with _him_ this whole time, and… oh God, gross. The base Commander was getting to his feet now, looking absolutely ridiculous in that dress and heels now that his identity had been uncovered, but fortunately Elza hadn't been too dumbstruck by the revelation to act.

As soon as the blonde woman had kicked him down, she squirmed around so that she was bringing her bound wrists up under her feet so that her arms were in front instead of behind her, and then she put both feet on the zip-tie and pulled. _Snap_! In a burst of effort that made her red in the face and took about as long as Sir Alfred did to recover from the kicks, Elza jumped to her feet and ducked down under the Commander's attempt to grab her, coming back up with a punch that caught him in the ear.

"Ugh… you unwashed peasant… _filth_!" He squeaked, holding his reddened ear. "You're going to _pay_ for this, do you hear me?! You're going to _pay_!"

Instead of responding with words, the blonde woman brought up her fists, crouching down slightly and keeping her elbows tucked in, as if she were a trained boxer preparing for a fight. And why not? After all, Elza had learned everything she knew from Tobias Liquid, and he was the RPD boxing champion for like six years… but on the other hand, the Commander had been able to restrain Steve pretty easily, so it was anyone's guess how this situation was going to unfold.

Another good thing about all this was that Sir Alfred was so distracted by the blonde woman, that he didn't notice Steve trying to free himself the same way that she had done. However, the young man was having a much harder time even getting his feet onto the zip-tie, let alone possessing the strength required to snap it… Claire wished that she could have helped either one of them, but her body just wasn't responding. It was like every inch of her was weighted down, and feeling like a knife was stabbing into her each time she tried to breathe.

The Commander threw a wild punch at Elza, and she responded by ducking down and punching him in the hip, putting Sir Alfred off balance enough so that he was sent reeling backwards when she came back up with an uppercut to his jaw. He fell against a wooden dresser, catching himself before falling, but then taking a moment to remove his high heels before coming at her again… a sight that the blonde woman couldn't help but laugh at, while the Commander just became more angry.

Elza's last punch had smeared his lipstick a little, with the stress of their fight causing Sir Alfred's mascara to start running as well. If Claire hadn't been in such poor condition, she probably would have found the sight of him pretty funny… but at least Steve had finally been able to get his feet onto the plastic zip-tie that bound his wrists. While the young man struggled to find the strength needed to free himself, Claire's cellmate had to move out of the way when Sir Alfred picked up the chair from in front of the vanity and tossed it at her.

Instead of hitting the blonde woman, the chair crashed into the Super 8 projector, bringing the endlessly looping film to an end as both objects fell to the floor. The Commander was enraged by the film suddenly cutting off, even more so it seemed than everything else going on around him, so he grabbed one of the larger glass bottles of perfume off the vanity and tossed it at Elza. He missed once again, only to pick up another for a third attempt… but this time the blonde woman caught the glass container in her hands and tossed it back, hitting him in the shoulder.

The container must have already been cracked or something, because it shattered into pieces on contact, forcing Sir Alfred to stumble sideways into the vanity to avoid the exposed liquid splashing into his face. Rubbing his eyes with the sleeve of his dress, the Commander reached for another container, only to suddenly stop moving when he found himself staring into his own reflection in the vanity's small mirror.

"What… but… no." He said in disbelief, his eyes wide and jaw trembling as his reflection looked back at him. "No… no, No, NO!"

Now screaming and yelling incoherently, Claire thought that Sir Alfred was going to attack the blonde woman again, but instead he just kept screaming as he ran from the room, leaving the three of them to their own devices. This was great since Elza was able to worry about helping the young woman now… just in time for Steve to _finally_ break free of the zip-tie. The blonde woman grabbed a small pair of scissors from the vanity and used them to free Claire's wrists before trying to help her up… but the young woman was in even worse condition than she thought.

"Get over here and help me!" Elza ordered, putting one of the young woman's arms around her shoulders. "We have to get Claire out of here before your boyfriend gets back."

"Shut up, Elza!" Steve snapped while taking the young woman's other arm. "Just… just shut up!"

With both of them supporting the young woman's weight, it was fairly easy for the group to leave through the door, leading them into a hallway that was just as dimly lit as the bedroom. It was clean and organized, but the walls and carpet had faded with time and there was a heavy layer of dust on everything, as if no one had been there to give the place a good scrubbing in a _very_ long time. The first door they came to led into another bedroom that was almost identical to the first one, aside from the men's clothes hanging in the closet, and the second door led into a bathroom, where the blonde woman had them stop for a moment so that Claire could rest.

"Just hang on, Claire, we'll be out of here soon, okay?" Elza said, using a nearby hand towel to dab the blood that was still dripping from her cellmate's mouth. "All right, lover boy, I don't suppose you know where we are or how to get out of here, do you?"

"I do, actually." He replied sharply. "In fact, I was on my way here to _rescue_ you girls, when Alfred ambushed me."

"Don't fight." Claire said weakly, her head rolling to one side while a wave of nausea passed through her stomach. "Have to… have to go… Elza, help."

The young woman's pleas seemed to reach the others, stopping the argument when Claire reached her shaking hand out for her cellmate. There was no time to rest; her skin was starting to become pale, and her words beginning to slur together a little bit, so Elza and Steve picked her up again, leaving the bathroom and then following the young man's directions down turn after turn of the hallway. He must have spent a lot of time in this place during the last few months if this was where Sir Alfred and Alexia… er, just Sir Alfred lived, and… even with as poorly as she felt, Claire felt awful for Steve as she imagined what his treatment had been like at the hands of the Commander.

Eventually the hallway entered a vast open chamber where a set of wooden stairs led down to the first floor of this place, an area that sort of resembled a large living room from several decades past. Like everything else in this big house, it was dimly lit just enough to make out the features of the room, this time illuminated by a large old fashioned chandelier that hung at the same level as the top of the staircase. There were more family portraits on the walls, as well as old furniture and even a small TV sitting in the corner, but right now all the group cared about was the front door.

"Come on, that door goes outside." Steve said once they reached the bottom of the shaky wooden stairs. "But we gotta be careful because of the security system, and… hey, wait a second."

Suddenly the young man let go of Claire so that Elza was supporting all her weight, in order to walk across the living room where his machine pistol was lying on the coffee table. The young woman figured that it must have fallen there when Sir Alfred attacked him, and since her and her cellmate's weapons were nowhere to be found, it was a good idea to at least be able to defend themselves in case…

Claire's thoughts were interrupted when a high pitch alarm started going off as soon as Steve picked up the weapon, and then two things happened as a result. First, a series of spinning yellow lights activated from their hidden locations on the walls, filling the building with a bright strobe light effect… allowing all three of them to see the second thing that happened. Some dust was kicked up while a section of the wall in the corner began to move, sliding around as if revealing some kind of secret passage… only it wasn't a passage that was being revealed.

As soon as the section of wall had spun completely around, it was shown that this was actually a hiding place for a large statue… no, wait, statues didn't move, but this thing was starting to. Nude but genderless, this thing had the bald head and skin coloring of the giant that had chased Leon around the RPD in Raccoon City, but she was more concerned with the set of long, frightening claws that made up one of its hands. In the dim light, its white eyes almost seemed to glow… and then it took that first step down from where it had been positioned.

_Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta_! The group's paralysis broken when the monster started to move, Steve once again had to let go of Claire in order to ready his reclaimed machine pistol, and thankfully the giant was so stocky that almost every bullet fired stuck it in the torso. Grunting with discomfort as it took a step backwards from the assault… and then another, the monster managed to stay on its feet until the young man's clip ran out. Once the firing stopped, he struggled to reload while the giant stood up straight as if no damage had been inflicted.

"Forget shooting it, we gotta go!" Elza yelled, trying to move Claire on her own. "God damn it, kid, come on!"

Once the new clip, which was also the last one, was inserted into the weapon, it looked like Steve was going to continue the fight, but then rushed back over to help the two women. Now that both of them were holding Claire up again, it was easy for them to rush out the front door, where the bright lights of the air field could be seen a short distance away… while the monster continued to slowly stomp its way after them.


	22. Chapter 22 The Airfield

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Twenty Two: The Airfield**

Taking a look back as the others helped her to move away from Sir Alfred's private residence, Claire was able to get a good look at the place for the first time. It wasn't massive like the RPD or anything, but still large enough so that the young woman would have gotten lost without Steve there to point the way toward the exit, and the whole place was mostly hidden by the start of a more mountainous section of Rockfort Island, so that it would have been hard to find by anyone who didn't know exactly where to look.

_Crash_! Suddenly Claire's thoughts were interrupted when the door of the large house was thrown open, allowing the large monster to slowly stomp its way across the front porch after them. Like the bald headed giant that she had encountered back in Raccoon City, this creature's movements were slow, but that didn't mean that the group wasn't going to be in serious trouble if it managed to catch up with them… and if it really was similar to the one that hunted Leon, then it was _never_ going to get tired.

"Come on, we gotta move faster!" Steve yelled, trying to hurry them along. "The airfield's just ahead!"

"No, we need to lose it first!" Elza replied, nodding her head toward a path that appeared to go a longer way. "If that monster's right on our heels when we get there, how are we gonna get a plane ready for takeoff before it kills us?!"

The group ended up going with the blonde woman's idea, leaving Claire to feel like a burden to both of them, since helping her along was only slowing the whole group down. Her cellmate refused to leave her, though, holding all of the young woman's weight so that Steve could turn around and fire a few shots into its legs in an attempt to slow it down. What was most surprising was that the plan seemed to be working, with the monster falling further and further behind until the line of sight between them and it was finally broken.

"This way, be quiet." Elza whispered, urging them to duck around a large rock. "We'll double back as soon as it passes, but if it doesn't… I hope you have a few bullets left, kid."

It would have made too much noise for the young man to check his clip right then, so they were forced to rely on faith that they wouldn't be completely screwed if the monster didn't fall for the trick. Claire tried holding her breath while the sound of their pursuer's heavy footsteps got closer, but without being able to breathe without it hurting, this was a lot harder than it should have been. The young woman managed it, though, keeping herself from making any noise as the monster walked around the other side of the rock… and then kept going.

_Yes_! It must have believed that the group was still following the path, because the monster soon walked out of sight, giving them this one chance to head back and then make their way to the airfield. One good thing that was coming from all of this was that Claire was no longer feeling cold… in fact, she was starting to sweat as if doing all this on a hot summer day instead of shortly before Christmas. Was she running a fever now on top of her other injuries? The added sluggishness in her body along with increased weakness told her that it was true… the young woman was getting sick, and now she was leaning almost completely on Elza in order to stay on her feet.

"It's gonna be okay, Claire, we're almost there." The blonde woman reassured her, taking a second to feel the young woman's forehead by putting her lips on it. "Oh God, you're burning up."

"Elza, I… I don't feel good." The young woman whispered, her legs giving out so that her cellmate had to catch her. "I don't know… can't walk anymore… get out of here."

If Claire was going to keel over from her injuries, then she wanted the others to at least have a chance to get away, but instead of listening to her, Elza bent down and scooped the young woman in her arms. Her cellmate was strong for a woman, but carrying her caused the blonde woman to slow down a bit more… of course, now they had to slow down since the fence around the airfield was just ahead. Everything around the field was lit up with powerful industrial white lights, but thankfully the sound of all the generators and idling plane engines was drowning out any sound they could have made.

Parts of the fence, which would certainly have stopped them with its fifteen foot high chain-link and barb-wire running across the tops, had been destroyed during the HCF attack, allowing them access, but speaking of the HCF… this place must have been their base of operations. Dozens of armed men with that same armor were patrolling around equipment and planes; some aircraft the jet fighters that were most likely responsible for the attack, while others were transport planes where even more equipment was being unloaded.

"If they see us, we're dead." Elza warned, the group taking cover behind a metal cargo container. "All right, kid, it's your time to shine… how long's it gonna take for us to get in the air after we sneak past these guys?"

"Well, I can't fly a jet, and they only hold two anyway." Steve replied, looking around at the planes. "I'm pretty sure I can fly those older cargo planes, though… the ones with the propellers, just… Elza, those planes are too heavily guarded, how are we gonna get Claire inside?"

He was right, and both women knew that there was no way for them to sneak past all those HCF guys, not when Steve needed to fly and the blonde woman had to carry Claire. No, there had to be another option and… and suddenly there was movement from behind, causing Elza to turn around just in time to see that the monster had not only caught up to them, but it was less than a meter away… with its clawed arm already slashing.

Reflexively dropping Claire to the ground, there was no time for the blonde woman to get out of the way herself as the claws came down, causing her to cry out as they tore across her chest. There was enough force behind the blow to throw her backwards as a light spray of blood was let loose, and if the HCF invaders hadn't been alerted to the commotion so far, they definitely heard when Steve started shooting the monster in the back. _Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta_! He just kept firing and firing, at least until his last clip was empty, and then it was his turn to cry out when the creature lifted its leg to kick him.

The blow caught the young man in the stomach, lifting him off his feet and sending him flying backwards into the cargo container while off in the distance an alarm was heard starting to go off. The invaders must not have been able to tell where the shots were coming from, because from where Claire was lying she was able to see them running all around the planes, taking up defensive formations while calling out to the others to see if anyone knew what was happening.

Unfortunately, no one was coming to help kill the monster, and now that Elza and Steve had been taken down, the creature turned its attention toward her. The young woman was in no condition to defend herself, and struggled just in the attempt to crawl away, allowing it to overtake her in just a couple steps from where Steve had been left coughing and trying to catch his breath right next to the cargo container. So she kept crawling, unable to take a full breath, and with no way to defend herself as the clawed arm raised up for the killing blow…

Suddenly the monster stumbled forward slightly as a result of something moving behind it, and that something was Elza leaping up onto its back, locking her legs around its waist while putting her arms around its head to cover its eyes. Forgetting all about Claire as it stepped backwards, the creature swung its arms wildly into the air, clearly lacking the intelligence required to stay still long enough to grab her… which was a good thing.

"Steve, get her outta here!" The blonde woman screamed, ducking down slightly to avoid getting slashed. "God damn it, get Claire and run!"

The young man was only partially recovered from that kick, but he did as she said, stumbling over to where the young woman had fallen, and then scooping her up into his arms… not quite as efficiently as Elza had done. His attempt at _running for it_ was more like a very slow jog toward the nearest cargo plane, and all Claire could do was look backwards wishing that there was something she could do to help her cellmate. As for Elza, she hung onto the monster from behind, clawing and scratching at its eyes as soon as the young woman was out of danger, but it was only a matter of time…

Eventually the creature backed up into the cargo container hard enough to make the blonde woman lose her grip and fall, causing her to land on her hands and knees at the same time that her enemy was turning around. She tried to get up, but couldn't do so fast enough to avoid the claws that was coming toward her, and then Elza gasped when all five of the blades stabbed so far into her chest that they sparked against the metal container behind her. Blood flowed out across what was left of her jumpsuit as the claws tore upward a few inches when the monster lifted her off her feet, and then it ripped them back out, allowing the blonde woman to fall into the slowly expanding pool of her own blood… and this time she didn't get back up.

Claire had been forced to witness this whole horrific scene while Steve carried her toward the cargo plane, and she wanted to scream as the tears flowed down her cheeks, but no sound came out. Elza was so tough and brave that the young woman kept expecting her to get up and run for the plane to join them in escaping, but she didn't… her cellmate, her… her friend who helped her survive in this awful place was just… she was just gone. Now she and Steve were on their own; their only hope lying in reaching the plane and taking off before either the monster or the HCF men realized what was happening.


	23. Chapter 23 Escape from Rockfort Island

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Twenty Three: Escape from Rockfort Island**

The whole time that Steve carried her toward the waiting cargo plane, Claire found herself unable to take her eyes off where Elza fell, not to mention the monster that was now slowly stomping its way toward them. Thankfully, her cellmate's sacrifice had given the two of them a significant head start, and the HCF invaders were finally heading toward where the gunfire from the young man's machine pistol had come from.

Gunfire erupted from over near the metal container almost at the same time that Steve stepped up onto the large plane's loading ramp, with some of the armed men apparently trying to surround the monster… no, wait, they were rushing right past it for some reason. Claire was confused as the young man set her down on one of the seats on the wall closest to the cockpit… if the HCF men weren't going after the clawed creature, then what were they shooting at.

Her vision kept starting to go blurry, but after blinking several times the young woman was finally able to see the orange jumpsuits of the people who were entering the airfield through that same section of damaged fence. There were dozens of them, as if all of the island's surviving prisoners had banded together to attack the invaders, but… but wait a second, the prisoners weren't going down after being shot, or at least they weren't _staying_ down after falling… no, those weren't prisoners at all.

The zombies must have finally gotten out of the detention area, Claire thought as she heard the plane's propellers starting to rotate. Just like the police had done back in Raccoon City, the armed men were shooting the approaching zombies, only to slowly be forced into a retreat as the numbers of undead attackers continued to increase. Unfortunately, since all of the HCF men were distracted by the zombie horde, this left nothing to stop the larger monster from continuing on its way toward the plane. Up in the cockpit, Steve was slowly turning the aircraft toward the runway, but the monster was getting so close to the loading ramp that…

Suddenly there was a spray of discolored blood as the clawed creature was knocked sideways by an unseen force, but it wasn't until the monster's clawed arm flew away in the opposite direction that the young woman understood what happened. Their pursuer must have walked right into one of the propellers just as the plane was turning toward the runway, leaving it lying on its face while the propellers throttled-up, causing Claire to almost fall over sideways in her seat when the aircraft took off rolling down the runway.

"Hang onto something back there!" The young man yelled as she struggled to buckle herself in. "Here we go!"

She had just gotten the harness buckled, when the large plane left the ground, pulling up sharply as they flew away from the island that had been their prison. With the cargo ramp still down, Claire was able to see the whole landmass getting smaller, allowing her to relax for a second… but then she saw something else that made her ribs hurt when she tried to gasp in fright. She hadn't noticed it until the back of the plane turned to face the full moon as they leveled off, but there was definitely a large arm grabbing onto the very edge of the ramp… an arm that was attached to a certain large monster that was now trying to pull itself up into the plane.

Oh God, what could she do? Taking in rapid shallow breaths as the monster slowly crawled its way into the plane, the young woman looked around for something that she could use to defend herself, but without any bullets, and Steve busy flying the plane, her options were limited. Without someone to help her, Claire could barely stand on her own, and the only thing within reach was a large metal cargo container that was strapped down to the rolling track in the center of the hold, and…

"Steve, pull up!" She yelled as loudly as she could, kicking at the release strap. "Steve, pull up or we're both dead!"

Her plan was a pretty simple one; releasing the container so that it would ram into the monster once the plane pulled up, and hopefully it wouldn't be able to stop itself from falling out the back without the use of its missing claws. Still, her sickness and injuries made it so that even lifting her leg for the kicks required was difficult… and why wasn't the plane pulling up? Between the engines and the wind, the young man must not have been able to hear her, and… that was bad since the monster was just about all the way inside the plane.

"Steve!" She yelled again, everything hurting from all this effort. "Steve, you gotta pull up!"

_Clank_! With one more labored kick, the straps holding the metal container in place were released, but the plane was still leveled off, and the monster was standing up. A couple more times she called for him, but then the creature started slowly stomping its way toward her, and there was only one thing left to do. No matter how badly it hurt, nor how much more blood it caused her to cough up after, Claire took in a very deep and painful breath, before shrieking like she had done when the young man's zombie father was attacking.

Finally he noticed that something was wrong, turning around to see why the young woman was screaming, and then screaming himself while jumping backwards… right onto the controls. Pushing the wheel forward, the large plane was sent into a dive, heading straight down toward the ocean while the creature flew into the container, which rolled itself right into the cockpit wall. Now the monster was right in front of where Claire was sitting, slowly getting up to its feet by standing on the side of the container, and starting to reach for her… when Steve _finally_ pulled up.

Missing her throat by mere inches as it suddenly fell to the floor when the plane righted itself, the monster slowly got up again in order to make a second attempt to grab the young woman just as the aircraft was starting to climb… when it was stopped again by the start of Claire's original plan. Already off balance by the effort of getting up, the monster was unable to stop the container from ramming into it as it rolled quickly down the track, sending both it and the creature tumbling out of the plane, down toward the ocean.

Once this was done, Steve righted the plane again before flipping a switch that Claire assumed was the autopilot feature, since it allowed him to get up and walk into the back of the plane. The young woman's hearing must have been getting muffled by whatever was wrong with her, because his speech sounded muffled like trying to listen to him with one ear underwater, but he was asking her if she was all right while caressing her hair like Elza had done. It took effort to nod her head to let him know that she was hanging in there, and then the young man walked over toward the open ramp.

There was a manual lever on the wall next to the opening, and it appeared to be stuck since Steve looked like he was having a hard time with it. Eventually, he braced one of his feet against the wall, and the lever came down with a hard _clunk_, making the light from the full moon slowly disappear as the ramp moved upward. At least some of the harsh sound from the blowing wind was muffled when it finally closed, but now that the adrenaline had stopped from the fight with that monster, Claire was sweating more and generally feeling worse.

"Damn, you really _are_ burning up." Steve said, putting the back of his hand on her forehead once he got back. "Just hang on a little longer, Claire, we did it… we got out. Now we can fly anywhere in the world, and we're gonna get you some help… here, come sit in the cockpit with me."

The young woman just kind of hung her head while he unbuckled her from the seat, scooping her up in his arms, and then carrying her up into the cockpit. The air was even colder up there in the plane than it had been on Rockfort Island, but that didn't stop Claire from soaking the front of the young man's jumpsuit with sweat by the time he set her down and buckled her into the co-pilot's seat. The seat wasn't capable of leaning back, but it was more comfortable than the one in the hold, allowing her to slightly lean back to rest while Steve returned to his seat in order to flick off the autopilot switch.

"Hey, what gives?" He asked, struggling to move the locked controls. "It's supposed to be on manual."

Flicking the autopilot switch on and off a few times, the young man still couldn't get the controls to respond; they just shook a little when he pulled on them, except for when the wheel turned unexpectedly in the opposite direction that he was trying. Once they had turned about ninety degrees to the right, the controls centered themselves again, leaving both of them confused as to what was happening, at least until a small monitor screen on the center console flickered to life.

"_Naughty, naughty, trying to run off like that, Steve_." The squeaky voice of Sir Alfred scolded as his image appeared. "_But it's nice to see you putting Alexia's flying lessons to good use_."

"Oh, just… just go away." Claire replied with more annoyance in her voice than anything. "Stupid… cross-dressing… weirdo."

"Just leave me alone!" Steve yelled, putting a small crack in the screen with the bottom of his fist. "Claire's sick, and her sister just got killed; you've gotta let me get her some help, just… just _please_ let us go, and you'll never hear from either of us again, I _swear_."

The base Commander's response was an extremely rude comment about how Elza had been scheduled for a _vivisection_ right before the attack started anyway, and even though Claire wasn't exactly sure what that word meant, she understood that it would have left her dead. As for the two that remained, Sir Alfred simply explained how much he was going to enjoy the final termination of _Alexia's competition_, as well as adding that… his sister just didn't sleep as well without Steve there to _comfort_ her.

Now that the young woman understood the relationship that the young man had been forced into for several months, she completely understood the repulsed look on Steve's face the Commander's laughter filled the plane before the monitor went dark. Okay, so Sir Alfred had somehow gained control of their plane's autopilot system, and he didn't want them to escape, but the plane hadn't turned around back toward Rockfort Island, so… where exactly were they going?


	24. Chapter 24 Chris Redfield

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Twenty Four: Chris Redfield**

"Wait a second, wait a second." Chris Redfield said into the phone. "You said you know my sister, _how_?"

"_We met in Raccoon City back in September_." The man on the other end replied. "_Me and Claire survived the outbreak together just before the city got nuked_."

The clock on the nightstand had displayed 2:00 AM when the phone next to it started to ring, bringing an abrupt end to the pleasant dream that Chris was having, and yeah it took him a minute to find the lamp which hurt his eyes when it clicked on, and even longer to manage to pick up the receiver, but… thankfully the person on the other line, a man calling himself Leon Kennedy, was persistent. The former STARS member had been ready to let whoever was bothering him at two in the morning have it for disturbing him, but instead he was caught off guard when the caller started by asking if he was speaking to _Claire's brother_.

Ever since the incident at the Spencer Estate back in July, when all of the surviving STARS members were suspended, he had been determined to stop what happened in the Arklay Mountains from ever happening again. It had all been Umbrella's fault, every death that had taken place since Tobias Liquid led Task Force Arklay up into the mountains to be destroyed, but what the former STARS member needed more than anything was proof… a search that led him to start investigating the big corporate offices in Europe.

Sure, it could have been argued that he had left his whole team behind in order to do this, but no one had complained when Barry Burton high-tailed it with his family up to Canada, or when Rebecca Chambers just… well, she had just vanished, leaving town even faster than Barry. Brad Vickers hadn't gotten into any trouble really, since the little coward had been able to prove that all he did was fly the helicopter in a circle all night long, and Jill Valentine had stayed in Raccoon City for some reason that wasn't obvious… but since when could a _man_ understand anything a woman did?

And speaking of women, Chris had nearly fallen off the bed when Leon told him that Claire had been involved in the T-Virus outbreak, since as far as he knew, his little sister had been off at college the whole time. I mean, it had only been a few months since they spoke, with her not having any plans to return home until Christmas, so why on Earth would she have made the trip all the way back to Raccoon City? Leon claimed that he was a member of the RPD, even though the former STARS member had never heard of him, but even if he _was_ a cop, why would Claire reach out to _him_ for help instead of Jill, or… anyone else she already knew… unless they were close… but what if he was lying? What if this was an Umbrella trick to lure him out?

"Okay, friend, you claim that you're a, uh… good friend of Claire's, right?" He asked, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. "So you must know her pretty well… all right, tell me something she told you that only me and her know about… and make it a good one… something _personal_ so I know this is legit."

Even though Chris had never been too thrilled about the possibility of his sister having relationships with guys, he knew from the ones she dated in high school that Claire had a tendency to tell all kinds of private things to ones that she liked… especially things that were embarrassing to him, but if she really was in trouble and this guy was on the level, then the humiliation of any secret was worth it to make sure that she was safe… or else the former STARS member was currently speaking to a dead man.

"_Uh… all right, but this might sting a little_." The caller said after thinking for a second. "_I know you punched a guy named Liquid in the mouth when he arrested Claire for breaking windows, and that in return he left you in a holding cell for two days, with a black eye and your hands cuffed behind your back so you couldn't use the toilet. I also know that the only reason you didn't go to jail over that was because your sister made a deal with Liquid to go through the Scared Straight program, and be a model citizen from now on… satisfied_?"

"Yeah… I'll buy that." The former STARS member replied, quickly reliving that humiliating weekend in his mind. "So what happened to her… is she all right?"

Unfortunately, Leon didn't have a lot of information to go on, aside from a hastily written email that he had received from Claire, saying that she had been captured by Umbrella and sent to a place called Rockfort Island. Other than that, there was a set of coordinates that was obviously the location of this place, but how was Chris supposed to go and rescue her from some Umbrella run private prison? It wasn't like he had a team that could be called on anymore, and the idea of going to the island alone just… wasn't pleasant.

"Sounds like it's just gonna be you and me then." He said, not sure how he felt about working with a stranger. "Are you up for it?"

"_I'd do anything for Claire if I could, but it's impossible_." Leon answered with genuine regret in his voice. "_I'm halfway around the world on an important assignment, and honestly you're lucky I even have a phone out here. Hell, I was only able to find you because the US Government pays off the same informants that Umbrella does, and by the way, you should probably relocate yourself anyway before the company beats our price_."

Oh God, it was looking more and more like he was going to have to find a way to rescue Claire himself, but how in the hell was he going to even get there undetected. Quickly searching through the nightstand drawer for a pen and paper so that he could write down the coordinates, the last thing he needed to ask Leon was a bit more personal… yes, it was kind of inappropriate to ask about just how close he and Claire had become, and exactly what his intentions with her were, but he couldn't help it. Ever since their parents had died, Chris had been forced to assume a fatherly role for her as well, and he just couldn't help himself.

"_I see that Claire wasn't exaggerating about you_." The caller replied once the questions were asked. "_But honestly, friend, your sister is a grown woman and whether or not I slept with her is none of your business. Besides, this is the first I've heard from her since about a week after Raccoon City. Now do us both a favor, and bring her home safe… I gotta go_."

The former STARS member wasn't used to being told that he needed to mind his own business about anything that involved his sister, and this left him a little steamed up, on top of the fact that she had been captured by Umbrella. No, this wasn't the time to get mad at Leon, or to start breaking things around the room in some kind of rage… for now the caller had been right, and Claire's safety was more important than anything, but… where in the hell was Rockfort Island?

Hanging up the receiver, Chris rubbed his eyes again so that he could see clear enough in order to find the pocket world atlas that he had bought at the airport a couple months ago. It was in one of the bags that he always kept packed just in case a quick exit was needed, and after taking out the small thick book, he began thumbing through the pages, looking for the range of latitude and longitude that Leon had relayed to him from Claire's email. Finding the range of locations kept him in the northern European region of the world, which was nice since it meant he wasn't going to have to go all the way to China or something, but… where exactly was it?

After what felt like an hour of searching the page, and even using a tiny magnifying glass to help out with some of the smaller print, the former STARS member finally found the tiny little island, and good news, it was only about thirty miles away from a section of mainland continent. All right, so now that Chris had discovered Rockfort Island's location, how was he supposed to get there? Flying a small plane wasn't an option, since Umbrella would probably try to shoot him down once he was in range, so what then, a boat?

Hmmm… maybe that would actually work. He could travel to the closest part of the mainland to the island, and then no one would ask any questions about some American tourist renting a boat for the weekend. Sure, it was winter time and not many people did that this time of year, but it wasn't like the _oceans_ actually froze, so yeah… Chris would have to fly from his current location, and then take a boat in order to sneak onto the island and then… oh wow, he was going to attempt to rescue someone from a secure Umbrella facility on his own. And not just any facility… a God damn _prison_.

"_It's none of your business if I slept with your sister_." The former STARS member mocked in a high pitch voice while standing up to start finding his clothes. "Yeah, we'll see about that when I meet you face to face, _Mr. Kennedy_… God damn it, why'd she have to tell him about Lieutenant Liquid?"

Continuing to grumble like this while slowly getting dressed, Chris began to formulate an actual plan for what he was about to do, including where and when he was going to need a plane ticket and boat rental, as well as the supplies he was going to need. Getting firearms was possible in Europe, although nowhere near as easy it was in America where you could damn near buy one at a grocery store, and there were a few other things needed as well. Hopefully, if the former STARS member could get a hold of all of them, then it might just be possible for him to sneak his way onto the island, rescue Claire, and get back out before anyone knew he was there.

But hey, at least this time he wasn't walking right into the middle of a viral outbreak like back at the Spencer Estate.


	25. Chapter 25 Antarctica

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Twenty Five: Antarctica**

No matter how hard Steve tried to manipulate the plane's controls, the aircraft remained on its new course, and the next several hours were spent flying south across the moonlit ocean. Claire had hoped that she would start feeling better with the time that she now had to rest, but the young woman instead felt like she was getting worse, coughing up some more blood in between drifting in and out of consciousness, and completely soaking the co-pilot's seat with sweat as the hours dragged on.

There were dreams, too; happy moments from childhood, partying with the girls from her college dormitory… being held by Leon, and… and a reunion with her brother, Chris in a world where there were no viral outbreaks and the world was safe from Umbrella. She tried to wipe the sweat off her forehead, but the young woman's hand was shaking to the point where she couldn't, and then she realized that everything in the plane was brightly illuminated. Steve must have activated the interior lights to try fixing the controls, but after blinking several times, Claire realized that he was still asleep in the pilot's seat.

No, this light was natural, and coming from outside the aircraft, meaning that the sun was already up. However, instead of feeling warmer with the rising sun, the air inside the plane actually felt even colder than it had upon takeoff, so much so that a ring of frost was forming on the edges of the windshield. It was a struggle, but after some effort the young woman managed to sit up higher in her chair, allowing her to look out the window and see nothing but a frozen, white landscape down below.

"Huh? You okay, Claire?" Steve asked, having been woken up by her pained groans. "Oh, the sun's up? What time is it… where are we?"

The clock on the control panel said that it was roughly nine in the morning, but the real shocker came when the young man read their current latitude and longitude, which he had to take out a map from behind the seat to make sure of what he was seeing. After unfolding the map and studying it for a few minutes, Steve was sorry to confirm that they were somewhere over _Antarctica_ of all places, which certainly explained why it was so cold. But why would Sir Alfred take them all the way to the Antarctic? There wasn't anything out there except for a few international research stations.

"I think I see some buildings down there." Claire said weakly, creating some fog on the window when she breathed on it. "And some planes… I think."

"Planes?" The young man asked, leaning over to see where she was looking. "Oh yeah, I see it… those look like some of the Umbrella planes from the island, but what are they doing all the way out here? Those buildings look like they've been abandoned since…

His words were interrupted when the plane started to drop suddenly, and at first the young woman was worried that they were crashing, but then there was a strong vibration throughout the aircraft when the landing gear dropped down. So this place really was their destination, but even if those old buildings belonged to Umbrella, Steve was right in saying that they looked like something out of an old _James Bond_ movie, like where _Dr. No_ stored his doomsday device.

Whatever the reasoning for bringing them was, the plane was coming in for a landing whether they liked it or not, so the young man checked to make sure that Claire was still buckled in before strapping back in himself. For a moment he grabbed the controls, but then let go since there was still nothing he could do to control their descent, and now a partially exposed runway was coming toward them fast. Thanks to the thick layers of ice that covered most of the path the autopilot was aiming for, the wheels immediately started sliding on contact, slowly spinning the plane around in a circle while the buildings got closer.

Eventually the whole aircraft went off balance, tipping over to the side so that one of its wings began scraping across the terrain, causing them to spin around even faster until the wing was sheared almost completely off. If Claire thought it was cold before, then she was in for a rude awakening when the wing came off just before the plane came to a hard stop against one of the buildings, and all of the cold air and snow came rushing in. Snow and winter time had been something she experienced every year in Raccoon City, but _this_… this sub-zero nightmare took about five seconds to teach her that she didn't even know what cold _was_.

"Jesus Christ!" Steve exclaimed, shivering as he struggled to get his harness off. "We can't stay here, Claire, we're gonna get hypothermia!"

She tried to undo her own harness, but instead of the cold air alleviating her fever, it all just seemed to make her worse to the point where the young woman could barely lift her arms. It honestly felt like her body was shutting down one part at a time, and that she was slowly dying, but thankfully the young man was there to help get her out of the chair. Like last time, he picked her up in his arms and carried her toward the back of the plane where the wing had fallen off, since it would get them out quicker than trying to lower the cargo ramp with the aircraft's remaining power.

The whiteness outside was so bright that it was nearly blinding, but instead of trying to get into the nearest building, the one the plane had put cracks in its wall, Steve began to trudge his way toward one that was slightly farther away, looking like some kind of flight control tower. She tried to tell him the other building was closer, and seemed ideal since their flimsy, partially torn prison jumpsuits were not exactly made for these extreme temperatures, but he replied that there probably wasn't power inside _any_ of the buildings, and then needed a plan to get out of there.

"We need a map and a radio!" He yelled over the wind, his lips already starting to turn blue from the cold. "If we can call one of the science outposts for help, then maybe they can send someone to rescue us!"

This made sense, but right now all Claire cared about was getting out of the wind, and there were no words to describe how happy she was when the doors to the flight control tower turned out to be unlocked. There didn't appear to be any power going, like Steve thought, but just to have a set of intact walls blocking the wind felt like a blessing from God… but they still needed to find a way out of there. The tower didn't appear to have been used for a while, and there were no emergency rations or survival supplies in the cabinets of the main room, not even in the small bathroom off to the side, where the frozen water in the bowl had retained its shape even after making half the porcelain shatter.

A staircase going up to the tower itself was the only other option, but by now Steve was getting just as tired as she was, and struggled to carry her up the stairs, one long step at a time. At one time this might have been a pretty high-tech control center for the airport, with its radar screens and wall-mounted keyboards, however the 1980's were long over, so this stuff was pretty obsolete, even if there _had_ been power going to it.

"Here, I'm gonna sit you down in this chair." The young man said, struggling to set her down gently. "There's gotta be _something_ around here we can use."

No matter how sick and hurt she felt, the feeling of being completely useless to the team was worse for Claire, especially since she had been the one in Raccoon City to look after those who couldn't take care of themselves. It was understandable why Steve really thought Elza Walker had been her big sister, since that was the way she acted, and to tell the truth it had been nice to be able to depend on someone else to take care of her… the way her brother, Chris had done after their parents died.

"Okay, look what I found for us, Claire." The young man said once his search was complete. "I got a map of the whole continent, a flare gun with a couple shells, and look… I found _this_ in that locker over there."

It was a big thick winter coat with a fur lined hood like the ones Russian Soldiers wore during the Cold War. The material was cold at first, but quickly warmed once Steve helped her into it, but there had only been one, leaving him to keep freezing while he opened up the old map. A lot of the information was _really_ outdated, since the map's label said that it was _Brand New for Travel Through 1983_, but some of the locations were constant, like the hand-drawn circle that read _YOU'RE HERE IN THE WORLD'S ASSHOLE_, and a place called _McMurdo Research Base_… that was only about twenty miles away.

"Damn, I wish we could call them." The young man said, looking over at the powerless radio equipment. "But hey, maybe we can find an old _Snowtruck_ or an _Arctic Cat_ sled or something, and if I can get it working, then we can just _drive_ there... this place has to have _something_, right?"

Claire wanted to remain optimistic, especially when it was suggested that they simply steal something from one of the other planes that had landed there, but it was still so cold even with her new coat, and she was feeling nauseous now to the point of… the point of. Suddenly leaning forward and retching violently, the pain caused in her ribs was so terrible as she vomited up a bunch of blood and the small amount of food in her stomach, that the young woman screamed while falling sideways out of the chair.

"Oh God, Claire, you're getting worse." He said nervously while coming over and trying to help her sit up. "I… I don't know what to do… tell me what I can do to help you."

"_You can start by putting your fucking hands behind your head, prisoner_." A filtered voice said from behind. "_Do it, or I'll blow the bitch's brains out_."

Claire and Steve both looked back to see who the owner of the voice was, only to both end up falling on the floor when the stock of a rifle was brought across the young man's head with a hard _crack_. And their attacker wasn't alone; there were five of them who must've entered the tower and walked up the stairs while she was vomiting, each one wearing full snow gear with facemasks and orange tinted goggles, while aiming automatic rifles at the two prisoners. One of them kicked Steve in the face when he tried to get up, while another one put his foot on Claire's throat to keep her down, but not before ripping the heavy coat off of her so that she was exposed to the cold again.

"_Base, this is Team 3_." The leader reported into the radio while the others restrained the captives. "_We found two of them from that last plane in the old tower… and I know Sir Alfred will be happy to know we found his missing play toys_."


	26. Chapter 26 Ashford Base

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Twenty Six: Ashford Base**

Claire already knew that Umbrella's goons didn't play around when it came to how they treated their prisoners, so it came as no surprise when Sir Alfred's soldiers tossed her and Steve down into the snow just to see them shiver. Focusing on the young man first, the armed men ordered him to crawl toward the building where the plane had crashed, kicking him when he didn't move fast enough, or stomping him down if he tried to raise himself up too high. As for the young woman, she no longer had the ability to crawl on her own, or any other kind of movement, really, so Steve was forced to crawl back to the tower and then carry her.

"_This bitch is nothing but dead weight_." One of them said through their mask. "_Why can't we just waste her now and be done with it_?"

"_Because Sir Alfred said to bring her in alive, that's why_." Another replied. "_Not that she's gonna live very long by the look of her, though_."

Struggling just to stay awake now as the young man carried her across the snow, Claire was starting to have a bit of trouble breathing, taking in each breath with the same labor as if she had just ran up a flight of stairs. It came as a small relief when the two of them were finally able to enter the larger building through a door that had been around the other side from where the plane crashed, but the young woman wasn't ashamed to admit that she was scared. Whether from her worsening condition or whatever Alfred Ashford had planned for them, she didn't want to die, but what could she do about… well, _anything_ now?

Not only was the building shielding them from the wind upon entry, but unlike the freezing control tower, the interior of this place was actually kind of warm. Small waves of heat were pumping out of a furnace vent in the ceiling when Steve carried her underneath it, and all of the industrial, open-cage light fixtures were on, as if someone had spent at least a day or two trying to get this old place operational. Had the base Commander ordered his men to retreat here during the attack on Rockfort Island? Was this the coward's sanctuary now that everything was lost to the HCF?

After heading down a flight of stairs, the narrow hallway opened up into a vast, open chamber that looked almost like a factory. Metal assembly lines weaved throughout the room like snakes, passing underneath large, silent machines that looked like they hadn't been used in more than a decade, while white hardhats were scattered along the floor alongside of wrenches and other tools as if this place had once been evacuated in a hurry for some reason.

The walls, floor, and ceiling were made of concrete, with no windows built into the walls, probably since the glass would have probably just frozen and shattered… but then how was the window in that control tower possible? More Umbrella soldiers we removing around the factory, some pulling open doors to check for hidden threats, while others worked to get the rest of the lights working, and then there was another set of stairs at the far end, which Steve was made to carry Claire upward to another door.

Knocking on the door before opening it, and waiting until a familiar voice gave them permission to enter, the soldier in front turned the knob to reveal what looked like the office of the factory's foreman. Like any manager's office, it contained a large window that overlooked the lower level, as well as some filing cabinets, a big wooden desk, and a couple chairs… the largest of which Sir Alfred was sitting down on as he glared at the two prisoners from behind the desk. Like the armed men, the Commander was wearing snow gear, and his bolt action rifle was leaning on the wall just behind him.

"Ah, my two favorite prisoners." Sir Alfred said, motioning for them to come forward. "Welcome to _Ashford Base_… you won't find _this_ place quite as easy to escape."

"You think getting off Rockfort Island was _easy_?" Steve quickly replied, trying not to show how frightened he was. "How did you get here before us, anyway? We left _before_ you."

In response to this question, the Commander simply replied that his private jet was a lot faster than the clunky old cargo plane that the young man had stolen… and then he ordered his men to handcuff Steve to one of the chairs before bringing Claire over to him. The young man tried to fight them off, of course, but only got beat up for his trouble, and soon the soldiers were handcuffing his wrists to the armrests while the young woman was partially carried around the desk to face Sir Alfred.

"Leave her alone!" The young man yelled, pulling unsuccessfully against the handcuffs. "Alfred, you piece of…

With a simple nod from the Commander, one of the soldiers interrupted Steve's words by picking up an old rag from on top of the filing cabinet, probably once used for dusting, and forcibly shoving it into the young man's mouth. Meanwhile, the other armed men propped up Claire so that she was leaning back on the desk while Sir Alfred stood up to face her. It was hard for the young woman to even keep her head up at this point, so the Commander put his finger up underneath her chin, pressing hard enough to make her look up at him.

"As I said before, quite fetching for an unwashed peasant." He said, looking her over with an annoyed expression on his face. "But this little _tart_ is nothing… I say, _nothing_ compared to Alexia, and yet… and yet my sister is spurned for this _trash_!?"

Completely red in the face now from anger, Sir Alfred took a moment to hoarsely clear his throat before spitting right into Claire's face, followed by closing his fist and slugging her in the stomach. The soldiers caught her so that she wouldn't fall over, but then they let go once the Commander punched her again, this time in the face, causing her to fall backwards onto the desk before sliding down onto the floor. At the same time, Steve had done his best to leap into action, standing up with the chair and rushing toward Sir Alfred… only to have one of the armed men kick his feet out from under him.

_Whump_! Unable to catch himself, the young man landed hard on the concrete floor, still trying to get over to Claire by crawling, but this effort was once again stopped by the guards. They laughed at his muffled cries of anger while lifting him up so that he was sitting on the chair once again... but then Steve gasped when he saw Sir Alfred reaching for his rifle. Working the bolt so that the young man could see that there was a bullet in the chamber, the Commander calmly aimed the weapon so that its barrel was aimed in the young woman's face… smirking when the young man started shaking his head frantically while screaming into the rag.

"Oh Steve, your concern for her is so touching." Sir Alfred said, suddenly using the female voice he had spoken in while wearing his sister's clothes. "I'll admit, I've always been a romantic at heart, so… why don't we make this interesting, hmm? If you _really_ want this lovely little _gutter-snipe_ so badly, then I say we give him the chance to fight for her… _to the death_."

"What a _delicious_ idea, Alexia, you always _were_ the brains of the family." The Commander continued, now back in his normal voice. "So how about it, Steve? Are you willing to face certain death for Claire?"

During this brief exchange, the soldiers just looked at each other and shrugged, clearly confused by Sir Alfred's changing voices. One of them looked like he was about to say something, but another one quickly shook his head while gesturing for him to just keep his mouth shut. Claire, meanwhile, was taking in a series of labored, rapid breaths while looking up into the barrel of the rifle while everyone waited to hear what the young man was going to say once the rag was pulled from his mouth.

"You're damn right I'll risk it!" Steve yelled as soon as he was able. "You think I'm scared to fight you, Alfred? I watched you get beat up by a _girl _in your own house, so let me loose, and I'll shove that rifle so far up your ass that the barrel touches the back of your teeth!"

The soldiers scoffed at these remarks as if they were confident in their Commander's chances of success, but Sir Alfred started laughing while moving the rifle away from Claire. This laughter got louder and more hysterical until all of the armed men around them were doing a forced, unsure version of the laughter too, only to instantly stop and jump a little when the Commander turned the weapon upward and fired a shot into the ceiling.

"No, no, silly boy, you won't be fighting my brother." Sir Alfred laughed in the female voice. "Let me clue you in on a little Ashford Family secret; this isn't just another Umbrella research base, it's a holding pen for some of my, well… less successful experiments."

"Nonsense, Alexia, all of your experiments are glorious." The Commander continued in his own voice. "But there's only _one_ of them who is fit to represent our noble family in a contest of honor… guards, bring them… we're going down into _the pit_."

Claire didn't like the sound of that, and from what the soldiers were quietly muttering to each other as they picked her and Steve up, they weren't too crazy about it either. This fear didn't stop them from dragging the two prisoners back out of the office and down into the factory, though, and they hadn't even bothered to remove Steve's handcuffs, forcing him to walk while bent forward with the chair still on his back. Two of the armed men held the young woman's arms, pulling her along so that her feet dragged along the floor, but thankfully there was an elevator toward the east side of the factory floor.

"This is your last chance, Steve." Sir Alfred said in the female voice after pushing the call button. "If you value your life, I suggest that you choose to be with me; then we can kill Claire, and you and I go back to the way things were."

"No, thank you." The young man replied sharply. "You just wait, you freak… I'm gonna win this fight and rescue Claire… and then I'm gonna kill _you_."

The Commander just shook his head, sighing with disappointment just as the elevator doors opened, ready to take them down to whatever it was that was waiting in the pit.


	27. Chapter 27 The Pit

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Twenty Seven: The Pit**

There was no denying how frightened Steve felt as the elevator descended down into the lower levels of Ashford Base known as The Pit, since he had seen with his own eyes the kind of cruelty and sadism Sir Alfred was capable of inflicting onto those he believed were his enemies. But Claire was in trouble… real trouble judging by how much worse the young woman looked each time he looked at her, so no matter what was waiting for him down there, he was going to have to face it.

Unfortunately, the young man was still handcuffed to the chair, being made to stand so that his head was almost touching the ground so that the wooden legs stayed up high enough to keep him from tripping. This was really uncomfortable, especially since the elevator ride seemed to be taking forever, but once the car stopped on the lowest level of the base, Steve was finally allowed to stand up straight again after the soldiers unlocked the handcuffs… only to be roughly shoved forward as soon as the doors opened.

It was warmer down on this level, probably because it was so far underground, and there were more lightbulbs mounted on the wall with the same open-cage fixtures as there had been up at the top of the facility, so everything was perfectly lit… not that there was much to see. Nothing decorated the hallways, no fake plants, no abandoned supply crates, and nothing on the walls, leaving only the bare concrete above below and around them. No directory signs, either, but the base Commander already seemed to know where he was going, leading the group down the left passage toward… who even knew what?

Aside from the echoing footsteps of the group as they walked down the corridor, everything was so eerily silent; no hum of generators, no soldiers already down there to get the place up and running again, no nothing at all, at least until the corridor finally ended at two metal doors. Neither of them were labeled, but both were made of metal and looked to have been reinforced as if something really important had been hidden inside. Each one had an old fashioned metal keypad lock, and Sir Alfred wasted no time in walking up to the door on the left, taking off his glove and getting ready to enter the combination…

"Please try not to get distracted, brother." The Commander said in his female voice, moving his hand back from the keypad. "After all, I'm counting on you to restore our family's name and honor."

"Of course, Alexia, you're right as always." Sir Alfred continued in his normal voice while moving over to the other door. "What was I thinking?"

Whatever was wrong with the Commander seemed to be getting worse, since although Steve had heard and seen him switch back and forth between his own persona and his sister's, it had never happened this quickly as if they were in the same room talking to each other. Usually, whenever the young man was taken to Alexia's room back on the island, Sir Alfred would leave and it would be about a half hour before _Alexia _would come back into the room, so… was he having some kind of psychotic break?

No interference came when Sir Alfred put in the combination to the room on the right, causing the door to quietly slide open, revealing a dark chamber. Instead of concrete, the floor was some kind of grated iron mesh, and… and beyond the light that got into the chamber from the open door, there was nothing that could be seen. Whatever was in there could certainly be _heard_, though, letting out a low, guttural growl as soon as Steve approached the door.

"_Do you think we should give the kid a weapon_?" One of the soldiers asked. "_I mean, we want this to last a little while, right_?"

"_Yeah, let's give him the one he found in the tower_." _Another of them laughed, producing the flare gun and its shells. "I mean, he was gonna try fighting us off with it, so why not_?"

The Commander didn't seem to have a problem with this, so the soldier pushed the gun and shells into the young man's hands, before shoving him backwards so hard that he fell onto the iron mesh of the chamber. Sir Alfred pushed another button on the panel, causing the door to slide shut again, leaving Steve in total darkness while he scrambled to his feet. He could still hear the muffled laughter of the soldiers outside, but there was only the sound of his unseen roommate's growling to let him know he wasn't alone.

All three shells of the flare gun would be able to provide light, he thought while breaking open the barrel and loading one into the chamber. Of course, doing this meant that the unseen monster wasn't the only one who would lose the cover of darkness, but it was better than just standing there and waiting to be attacked… so the young man snapped the gun closed, aimed toward the unseen back of the chamber, and pulled the trigger.

_Thunk-BOOM_! With only the slightest noise, the shell was sent flying into the darkness, only to explode with a flash of red light that forced Steve to cover his eyes for a moment. Now every corner of this place was lit up with a flickering red glow, allowing the young man to finally discover the source of the growling… at the same time that it discovered _him_. All the way at the end of the chamber, there was a figure that almost looked human, but there was no hair on its body, and its skin was discolored in the same way that the zombies had been.

Strangely, though, this figure appeared to be chained to the wall in a sitting position; its arms restrained by a straight-jacket that was anchored at the wrists and also to the metal shackles around its ankles, so the thing wasn't going anywhere. It pulled at the chains, growling and snarling like an animal, while seeming to also know exactly where the young man was standing, regardless of the blindfold tied around its eyes. This monster was getting angrier all the time, and he didn't want to risk it getting free and attacking him, so Steve used the only weapon he had… loading another shell into the gun, and then aiming at the creature.

_Thunk-BOOM_! Another flash of light, this one engulfing the creature's whole body in what looked like fire, the chamber now echoed with enraged screams while it angrily pulled to free itself… and this time it was successful. With an echoing _pop_, the first anchor around one of its wrists snapped, allowing the monster more room to struggle against the others, each one popping in succession as it stood up and started to make awkward, lurching movements forward. Of course, with its ankles still chained together, and the straight-jacket still on, the creature was slow moving and… and what could it really do to him without its arms?

"_The only one worthy to defend the family name_." Steve mocked, starting to walk toward the monster. "Well, let's see how _worthy_ you are after I push you down and stomp your brains out."

He had confidently strode his way about halfway across the chamber, when the creature groaned as if it were in pain, followed by a bubbling sound as the monster's back began to bubble up like water boiling up over the edge of a pot. All of the young man's confidence vanished as soon as he saw the long, stinger-like limb extending itself out from the top of its back, followed by several other smaller ones along the sides, most likely to make up for the ones it couldn't use… and now it was walking… away from him?

Instead of attacking right away with its new limbs, the monster growled as it headed right toward one of the flares that were still burning on the floor. Was this thing drawn to the light like a moth, Steve wondered? So he watched the creature, desperately trying to find an obvious weakness since there was only one flare shell left, and then the young man gasped in horror when it reached the burning flare… and stepped on it so that it went out.

Without the flares Steve wouldn't be able to see, he thought while trying to come up with a plan to keep himself safe. With his luck, the monster probably had perfect night-vision, but what did the young man have? He had a flare gun with a single shell that did absolutely nothing to his enemy, a steel-resolve to rescue Claire, and Sir Alfred who wanted him to die for spurning his sister, and… holy crap, wait a second, that was it. That _right there_ was how he was going to get out of this.

"Alexia!" Steve screamed at the top of his lungs as he ran back to the door and started pounding on it. "Alexia, I'm sorry! I've changed my mind, I know I haven't been good to you, but give me another chance, and I'll prove to you I've changed! Please, Alexia!"

"No, you've made your choice, Steve!" Sir Alfred's normal voice called through the door. "Imagine, rejecting my sister for some unwashed peasant girl… you deserve to be ripped apart by that thing in there, you know that?! After all… you _both_ turned out to be great disappointments."

"Don't be so fast to throw my toys away, brother." He continued in the female voice. "I like the kind of company Steve gives me, so we'll give him one last chance… if he shoots Claire when we let him out, he can live, and if he doesn't… well, then he gets to go right back in there, now, doesn't he?"

Once the Commander's normal voice had taken control again, Steve was asked if he understood the terms of his release, and of course the young man said that he did, prompting the door to the chamber to start sliding open a few moments later… just as the monster was stomping out the other flare. Now Sir Alfred expected Steve to come out and shoot Claire, but the young man had other ideas… for instance already having the flare gun aimed… and then pulling the trigger as soon as the door was open.

_Thunk-BOOM_! Sir Alfred was standing right there in the doorway with a smug look on his face, but that expression was replaced with one of shock and fear when the flare shell struck him in the upper chest, exploding on contact. The Commander was thrown backwards, his skin starting to char even before he crashed into the wall and fell to the floor… continuing to scream while the flare kept burning him from where it was lodged into his solar-plexus. All of the armed men had been watching the door, and now were temporarily blinded from the flash, allowing Steve to hit the one holding Claire with the empty flare gun.

The soldier must have been off balance, because the blow knocked him down pretty easily, allowing Steve to pick up one of their assault rifles before using his other hand to drag the young woman away from the others. _Kakka-kakka-kakka_! Aiming the captured rifle, and beginning to fire it in a small circular motion, some of the guards screamed when they took hits in the legs or armor… including one good solid hit to Sir Alfred… making him collapse when a bullet slammed into his ribs.

"Come on, Claire, we gotta go!" He exclaimed, slinging the rifle over his shoulder and then scooping Claire up into his arms. "Bye, Alfred, have fun!"

Not waiting to hear if the Commander was still capable of replying, the young man turned around back the way they came, moving as fast as he could toward the elevator… while the monster's growls began to fill the hallway.


	28. Chapter 28 Resurrection

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Twenty Eight: Resurrection**

_Kakka-kakka-kakka_! Not long after Steve picked up Claire and started toward the elevator, the growls of that blindfolded monster became mixed with the screams of the soldiers, most likely because it had finally reached them, and gunfire had erupted by the time the young man pushed the button for the doors to open. Since no one else had been in a hurry to go down there, he had expected the doors to open right away, but for some reason this was just not happening… and the gunfire was dying down.

Something moved out of the corner of his eye just as the doors started to open, and Steve looked to see one of the armed men running toward him from around the corner… only to be stopped abruptly when something stabbed him through the back so hard that the pointy tip was sticking out through his chest. For a moment the young man found himself paralyzed as the soldier was lifted off the floor, but as soon as the blindfolded monster came into view behind its victim, Steve ran into the car as fast as he could.

Pounding the bottom of his fist rapidly on the only button available, once again the doors were taking forever to close, finally starting to move just as the monster's shadow came into view. Had these doors been so slow to move when he and Claire were brought down? Or was this just because the universe hated him? The young man wondered these things as the doors closed just as his pursuer was stepping out into view, and then he let out a loud sigh of relief when the car started moving upward.

"Its okay, Claire." He panted, trying to catch his breath. "We're safe now."

The young woman in his arms was no longer conscious, her head tilted back and her eyes closed, just lying there limply as if no longer alive. No, she was still breathing; her chest moving a little with each slow, labored intake of air… he had to get help for her, fast. On the way into this building, Steve had seen some of the soldiers working on a couple of the old snow trucks that were in storage, and those big, treaded vehicles with the plow attachments were just what the young man needed in order to drive himself and Claire to that nearby research base. Getting to one of those vehicles, however, was easier said than done.

Even with Sir Alfred and his personal guards most likely dead from that monster, there were still a lot more soldiers up on the factory level, so he needed to sneak past them and somehow steal one of the trucks without getting himself shot… all while carrying Claire. Yeah, no pressure at all, he thought as the elevator continued upward. Man, as much as Steve really hated Elza Walker, he genuinely wished that she was there with them, if nothing else, just to have another person there to help him fight if it came to that.

Now the elevator was slowing down, so the young man pressed himself against the wall so that his bright orange jumpsuit wouldn't be spotted as soon as the doors opened, but it seemed that luck was actually with him for once when there were no soldiers standing there. Steve could hear them talking and moving around while they went about their current tasks of fixing the place up, but none of them were paying attention to the elevator, so he took a chance and ran for it.

Okay, it wasn't so much of a run, and more of a brisk walk across the factory floor, ducking behind machines and crouching down behind conveyer belts whenever the armed men came near. A couple times he had almost been caught, but the first time another soldier had called the one searching for the young man to help him lift something just before he would have looked over the other side of the conveyer belt, and another one turned out to be looking at something else entirely when he got near the machine Steve was hiding behind.

So far so good, he thought while getting closer to the stairs that led to the door. The young man wasn't crazy about going outside again, but it was a hell of a lot better than staying in there… especially when the elevator doors were heard opening… followed by a familiar sounding growl that definitely got the soldiers' attention. Are you serious, Steve wondered as he heard this noise? Had that blindfolded monster somehow figured out how to use the elevator?

_Kakka-kakka-kakka_! His answer came in the form of gunfire that began once one of the armed men saw the thing, but the good news was that with all of them focusing their attention on that freak, it gave the young man a clear run for the exit. Not stopping to see what was happening, or if the soldiers' weapons were having any effect on the monster, Steve kept moving as fast as he could, reaching the stairs, and then struggling a lot more than he expected to carry Claire up them to the door. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who was getting worn out from everything that was happening.

Even though the young man had been outside before, he was still shocked by how cold the temperature was while the blowing wind went right through his jumpsuit, and everything was so damn bright that he had to keep his eyes partially closed while walking forward. The young man tried to hold Claire tighter to keep her warm, but this just wasn't working… God damn it, where the hell were those snow trucks he had seen? Okay, the tower was over that way, so he just needed to go the other way around the building's dome… no, not that way, that was where the plane crashed.

The building's walls and blowing wind must have prevented the soldiers outside from hearing the commotion of their comrades trying to fight off that monster, because they were just going about their routine of getting the vehicles ready… and leaving each one they finished working on completely unguarded. I mean, why not, since how many people were out there waiting to steal a snow truck that looked like it was from the 80's, right? Well, there was at least _one _out there now, and boy were those guys gonna feel _stupid_ when Steve drove off in it.

With every step toward the vehicle, he thought for sure he was going to be caught, but nothing happened by the time the young man pulled the door open, and… nope, still nothing even after as long as it had taken him to put Claire into the seat and then get in himself. Locking the doors and wiping the frost off the gauges, the young man felt a little better now that the wind was being blocked, but then he looked out the windshield to see that the soldiers were now running toward him. Shit, they must have seen him after all… no, Claire was dead for sure if they got captured again, so Steve reached for the key to start it up and make their escape… when the soldiers ran right past the vehicle.

_Kakka-kakka-kakka_! The gunfire was muffled by the wind this time, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that the monster had followed him outside. Thankfully, the armed men had just finished servicing this snow truck, but the cold still caused the vehicle's engine to struggle hard before finally starting up. Revving it up with the throttle a few times to accelerate the warmup process, the young man slowly worked the trucks controls, turning it away from the garage, toward the east where the research base was… when he saw that the monster was right in their path.

"Hold on, Claire." He said, shifting gears after putting on both of their seatbelts. "This could get a little bumpy."

The monster had just finished harpooning another soldier through the chest with its stinger, so Steve cranked down on the throttle, the vehicle's treads kicking up a bunch of snow behind them as it started forward. Picking up as much speed as possible, the young man didn't even try to avoid the blindfolded monster's stinger, which put a small crack in the truck's windshield just before the creature vanished underneath the vehicle.

Driving over his pursuer felt like going over a large speedbump, but Steve wasn't about to just let this thing follow them across the snow to the research base, so he turned the truck around, and lowered the plow attachment just as the monster was starting to get up. _Whump_! Catching the monster's head with the bottom of the plow, the young man again felt the speedbump-like sensation of driving over his pursuer, but this time he stopped the truck right on top of it, and began to spin around.

Crunching and grinding down on the monster by spinning the treads around on top of it several times, Steve finally put the truck into reverse and backed off just enough to leave his pursuer underneath the plow attachment that was raising up. As soon as it was up all the way, he brought it down onto the monster's body, knocking it back down just when it was starting to get up… and then again… and then again… and again. Finally, after bringing the plow attachment all the way down onto the monster's neck until it couldn't go down any farther, Steve drove forward, creating a large pile of snow as he dragged his pursuer across the hard ground.

Eventually the monster's neck broke, causing its body to go underneath the treads one last time while its severed head was pushed deep into the snow pile… it was over. The monster was no longer moving, the soldiers had been good enough to fill the truck's fuel tank all the way to the top, and hey… in all the excitement, Steve had just noticed that the heater was even working. All right, it was time to get out of this nightmare once and for all, so he turned the truck toward the east, and resumed heading toward the research base… there was nothing that could stop them now.

_Meanwhile, back down in the pit…_

Sir Alfred wasn't sure what happened… one moment everything was going fine, and then there was a bright flash, and… and now not so fine. The soldiers around him were dead, stabbed to death by that monster, while the Commander himself had been left badly burned along with… along with a hole in his side that was making it difficult to breathe. A trail of blood was left along the concrete wall that he was leaning on, desperately trying to stay on his feet while keeping his vision focused long enough to enter the code to open the other reinforced door.

This took a couple tries, but eventually the door slid open, revealing not a darkened cage, but a highly sophisticated laboratory, at least for its time. Most of the equipment was off, with only a few indicator lights blinking around the largest machine at the center of the chamber, and Sir Alfred nearly falling over when he reached for the light switch. As soon as the lights were on, it was revealed that the largest machine in the room was actually a large transparent tank, where a naked young woman with long blonde hair appeared to be complete submerged in frozen water.

The Commander coughed up a large amount of blood, silently swearing vengeance against Claire Redfield and Steve Burnside as he stumbled toward the tank, but Sir Alfred's strength was running out, causing him to fall to the floor just before he could reach the emergency override button that would activate the silent machine. No, he couldn't die yet… had to reach it… come on… reach… _yes_! Using his remaining strength to reach up and press the large button, all of the lights on the machine came to life as the ice inside the tank immediately began to melt.

As it was an emergency function, the process was quick, opening the transparent capsule as soon as the water was in a liquid state, and allowing hundreds of gallons of water to spill across the floor. The naked young woman remained standing, though, motionless for a few moments while the color returned to her pale skin, and then taking in a deep, slow breath while he shiny green eyes opened.

"A… Alexia." Sir Alfred coughed as his vision started to go black. "Alexia… you're… you're… awake…


	29. Chapter 29 Dr Alexia Ashford

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Twenty Nine: Dr. Alexia Ashford**

There was a bright light shining in her eyes as Claire slowly opened them, blinking a few times to bring her vision into focus, and discovering that… she was in a different place. Last time the young woman had managed to regain consciousness, she had been buckled into the passenger seat of an old snow truck that Steve had somehow managed to steal, and once he was done expression how happy he was to see her awake again, the young man briefly explained that they were driving over to the nearby research base to get help.

However, he had barely finished that explanation, when everything went wrong. From out of nowhere, something gigantic had burst its way up through the icy terrain, looking like a huge white snake or maybe the tentacle of an even larger monster as it searched around the area for a moment before coming right at them. Wrapping itself around the truck like an anaconda, this thing had the strength to not only lift the vehicle off the ground, but also throw it back the way they came… causing them to crash and then roll several times across the ground, and then… well, then nothing until right now.

Claire was still in bad shape; her head was pounding, she was dripping sweat, and every inch of her body felt heavy and fatigued at the same time. Maybe if she sat up it would help with the pressure in her brain, the young woman thought as she tried to sit up, only to fail. So she tried again, but something was holding her down, and it took Claire a minute to be able to turn her eyes down far enough to see that the reason she couldn't sit up was because she was strapped down to some kind of examination table with her arms out to the side.

"Steve!" She exclaimed weakly once she turned her head to see him lying on a similar table a short distance away. "Steve… wake up!"

He was out, just like she had been until about a minute ago, and the young woman was about to try calling for him again, when another sound reached her ears. It almost sounded like someone's bare feet walking across the concrete floor, and then there was a bit of shuffling, before a… needle on a record player? Yeah, it had to be, since music started playing after a few seconds of the player crackling, but the music was kind of old. Struggling to turn her head far enough to see where it was coming from, Claire was only able to see the scientific machines that lined the walls of this place, but there was definitely someone else there… someone who was singing along as the song continued.

"_And I ran, I ran so far away_." A soothing female voice sang with a British accent. "_I just ran, I ran all night and day… I couldn't get away_."

Whoever it was in the room with them was gathering some things from around the different cabinets, which the young woman guessed was a laboratory equipment, and that was a really bad thing if they were still in Umbrella's custody. Claire tried calling for Steve a couple more times, but he just wasn't waking up, at least not until a woman with long blonde hair casually poured a beaker full of water onto his face while she walked past, causing the young man to cough as he was jolted awake.

"_Reached out a hand to try again_." She continued singing while grabbing one last thing from on a far counter top. "_I'm floating on a beam of light with you… a beam of light with you… and I ran, I ran so far away_."

This woman wore a white lab coat along with… not much else by the look of things, and her hair was damp as if she had just gotten out of the shower, but these details were forgotten once she set all of her cases and medical equipment down on the small wheeled-cart in between both examination tables. Once it was all laid out the way she wanted it, the blonde woman selected a couple things that she was about to bring over to Claire…

"Get away from her!" Steve yelled, his voice squeaking for a second. "Leave her alone!"

Surprisingly, the blonde woman did as he asked, setting the equipment back down onto the cart, but then picking up a small capsule that almost looked like the _smelling salts_ that boxers used. She broke it open, turning the young man's words into a startled cough when both halves were put under his nose, and then the blonde woman shoved each one into his nostrils so that Steve had no choice but to keep breathing them in. He cried out in agony, squirming around and pulling at the restraints while their captor once again picked up the equipment for Claire, and this time there was nothing to stop her.

"Sorry for the interruption." She said, holding one of the young woman's eyes open while shining a small light inside. "Some patients can be rude, but it's mostly because they're scared, especially the boys for some reason. All right, now we're going to just take your temperature while we see where all this blood's coming from."

At first Claire thought it was Sir Alfred once again made up like his sister, who was looking down at her, but that was impossible since not only were this woman's eyes green instead of blue, but she looked _a lot_ younger than the Commander… roughly the same age as Elza at the _most_. She made small talk while putting an old fashioned thermometer under the young woman's tongue, and then unzipping what was left of her orange jumpsuit, before picking up a small cassette tape recorder.

"_Subject One of… whatever date it is, is a notably attractive Caucasian female, approximately nineteen years of age_." The blonde woman clearly stated after pushing the button. "_Examination is being performed by Dr. Alexia Ashford at Ashford Base, and my preliminary findings are not good_."

Claire didn't understand a lot of the medical terms that this woman, who claimed to be Alexia Ashford… as in _the real one_, was saying, but she knew enough from watching General Hospital that things were looking bad. For a while there was silence as Alexia took a small sample of her blood and put it under a microscope, well, silence except for how loudly Steve was crying from the smelling salts stuck in his nose, and once the blonde woman came back, she used one hand to stroke the young woman's auburn hair as if petting a dog while turning back on the recorder.

"_Blood type O Negative, no signs of disease present… surprising given obvious lower birth_." The blonde woman continued. "_Diagnosis as follows: Advanced fatigue and malnutrition, mild frostbite on the fingers and face, signs of significant internal bleeding from blunt force trauma, as well as large bruises… and finally a critical infection from going without treatment. You poor thing, you're getting worse, too… I estimate that Subject One will expire within an hour_."

"No!" Claire whispered hoarsely, coughing up a little more blood as she pulled at the restraints. "No… please!"

In response to this sudden outburst, Alexia casually set the tape recorder down before picking up a small bottle, and lightly wetting a rag with the container's liquid contents. The blonde woman then covered the young woman's nose and mouth with it, forcing her to take in a breath through the chemical, and the effect was… calming. Well, after the sharp odor that stung a little to breathe in, but it was now safe to say that Claire wouldn't be struggling any time soon, allowing the blonde woman to put a different tape in before walking over to Steve's table.

"_Subject Two is a whiney little nancy-boy, looks about seventeen if I had to guess_." Alexia commented much more sternly than when discussing Claire. "_Soft hands, thin wrists… just the kind of pretty boy my brother likes to crush on… probably listens to Chicago… goodness, look at him cry from the smelling salts… it's hilarious_. _I'd say… perfect candidate for T-Veronica resumed trials_."

She then reached for the capsules stuck in his nose as if going to remove them, which Steve eagerly held still for… only to scream when she instead pinched his nose, causing all of the powder to be inhaled by him at once. The blonde woman giggled to herself, doing a sarcastic mockery of how he screamed and flopped around for a moment, before clearing her throat and then walking back over to Claire. This time pulling up a rolling chair so she could sit down, Alexia gently removed the collar that had been put on the young woman's neck when she arrived at Rockfort Island, releasing some of the pressure.

"Claire… Redfield." She read after scanning the collar's bar code on a nearby reader. "Lovely to meet you, Ms. Redfield, I'm your new doctor, Alexia Ashford. I wish I had better news, but you seem to be dying, so… how can we make this easiest for you? I could smother you with a pillow, dope you up… dope you up _and then_ smother you… the possibilities are quite endless, but… the final decision rests with you."

"Please… I don't want… to die." Claire replied, her voice breaking as she started to cry. "I don't… I don't…

Alexia began stroking her hair again, replying in a soothing voice that no one ever _really_ wants to die, but that it was a natural part of life, no matter how much the blonde woman wanted to keep as many subjects around as possible. Naturally this upset the young woman even more, prompting _her new doctor_ to lean forward and give her a kiss on the forehead, before offering to get her some water or maybe change the music playing to something more soothing, like The Rolling Stones, but that death was imminent.

"She is _not_ gonna die!" Steve yelled, trying to fight the pain he was feeling. "Get the hell away from her, you sick fuck!"

Politely asking to be excused for a moment, Alexia took a deep breath of her own while standing up, and then cleared her throat before walking back over to where the young man was still trying to free himself from the restraints, red in the face from the salts and trying not to break down completely. Sighing loudly, the blonde woman gently took one of his hands into hers, and then caused Steve to shriek like a girl when she quietly broke one of his fingers with a wet _snap_.

"I am consoling a terminal patient, you insensitive prick." Alexia said sternly, somehow remaining calm while breaking another one of his fingers. "She has less than an hour left to live, and I swear to every God you've ever heard of, that if you startle Ms. Redfield again with your incessant… _bitch-moaning_… that I will _invent_ new ways to make you feel pain, and even the _Ashford Root_ won't be able to… hey, wait a moment."

The young man was still crying and screaming because of his two broken fingers, but the blonde woman was suddenly elated to happiness, seeming to forget all about him after letting go of his hand. Now giddy almost to the point of skipping her way back over to Claire's table, Alexia was barely able to contain herself when it was announced that she was finally going to be able to continue with an experiment that was put on hold when she was put on ice… whatever that meant.

"Don't you see what this means, Claire… may I call you Claire?" She asked excitedly. "I might have a way to save your life!"


	30. Chapter 30 The Ashford Root

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Thirty: The Ashford Root**

"Less than an hour to create a medicine by hand, and save your life." Alexia said, giggling a little as she opened a small freezer. "So exciting; I've never been able to try this on a _person_ before, and don't worry about the monkey's brain aneurism, because I'm… thirty five/forty percent sure I've figured out what went wrong."

From the freezer the blonde woman took out three samples of what looked like leaves from different plants, or rather three different colored versions of the same plant, maybe? Green, red, and kind of purplish-blue, each one gently pulled out of their containers with a pair of tongs and left on a metal tray in order for the ice to melt. This didn't take long, thanks to how warm the heaters were keeping the laboratory, and then Alexia started tearing the leaves into little pieces, putting all of them into a wooden bowl and then grinding them up with an old pestle.

"These plants are quite remarkable." She explained while grinding them up slowly into almost powder. "I discovered them in the Arklay Mountains near a place called Raccoon City… small place, you probably never heard of it, and they don't grow _anywhere else_."

According to the blonde woman, when applied properly, each of these plants had the ability to heal certain types of injuries, with the green one causing cell regeneration in her previous test subjects, while the blue one neutralized toxins like animal venom and bacterial infection. At first Alexia had believed that the red one was worthless since it didn't do anything on its own, but when combined with either the green or the blue one, _look out_, because it almost tripled the abilities of the other ones, making it essential for the mix.

"I think the monkey's aneurism was caused by the method of delivery." She continued, pouring the powder back onto the tray. "My first attempts were done by deluding this powder into water and then injecting it directly into the bloodstream, so we're not going to do that this time… instead, you're going to smoke it… you know, like a roach."

Humming to the song that was now going on her record player, another old 80's tune that Claire couldn't identify, the blonde woman expertly put the powder onto three small scraps of paper, before rolling them up and bringing the tray over to the young woman. Of course by this point Claire was barely able to breathe at all, in fact just barely clinging to life, and obviously unable to smoke the roach as Alexia called it. So the blonde woman thought for a moment, before putting one of the rolls into her mouth and using a Bunsen burner to light the end.

Now taking in a huge drag as deeply as she could, Alexia tilted Claire's head back and pinched her nose, before leaning in and making a seal with their lips before simply blowing the smoke down into the young woman's lungs as if she were doing CPR. At first there was a burning sensation that made Claire's eyes go wide, coughing out little bits of smoke, but… there was a lot less blood coming up this time. Not waiting to see the initial results, Alexis finished off the roll by breathing the rest of it in, then blowing it down the young woman's throat like last time, and then waiting to see what would be the result.

The smoke must have had a numbing effect, because as soon as she was done coughing, Claire was able to take in a labored breath, a full one this time, without it hurting nearly as bad. As the minutes went by, Alexia used her tape recorder to keep track of everything she had done for the experiment, and that was when the young woman noticed that even though she didn't feel exceptionally better yet, she hadn't gotten any worse since breathing in the smoke either.

"_The first full dose has produced a massive reduction in blood being expelled orally_." The blonde woman recorded. "_No other significant improvements as of yet, but it appears that general bodily degradation has been arrested… proceeding with second dose_."

Just like the first one, Alexia breathed the smoke down into Claire's lungs, and this time she _did_ begin to notice improvements, beginning with her swollen eye starting to open all the way, while the throbbing in her head started to lessen. The blonde woman also commented that the signs of internal bleeding were becoming lighter, allowing her to change the young woman's status from _terminal_ to _critical_ over the next few minutes, and about a half hour after the third and final dose was administered, Alexia was happy to announce that her condition was now classified as _stable_.

"Well, now that Ms. Redfield's most likely going to live, we can turn our attentions over to our other patient." She said after kicking off so the rolling chair moved to the other table, where she removed and scanned his collar. "I wouldn't want you feeling neglected, Mr… Burnside, so I've got something special cooked up… think of it as my way of saying sorry for making you wait so long."

Claire was feeling well enough to try sitting up again, not that the restraints allowed it, but she was able to turn her head enough to see Alexia returning to the freezer, where she pulled out not another plant sample, but a large syringe filled with a frozen blue chemical. Just like with the last samples, the blonde woman set it on the cart to melt, allowing the young woman to see that the syringe was labeled as something called _T-Veronica Revision 4 Injection 1/5_.

Immediately Claire's mind was put toward the T-Virus that had destroyed Raccoon City, watching in horror as the frozen substance slowly melted down into its liquid state, and realizing that Alexia was going to use this on Steve. The young woman mentally kicked herself for actually starting to like the blonde woman during the course of her treatment, but even though she was feeling a million times better than before, what was she supposed to do about it?

"Well, Steve, this is a sample of the revised T-Veronica Virus." Alexia explained, picking up the syringe. "That's right, the very same one I used on my father… I know he probably didn't look like much when you were crushing him with that snow truck, but you'll be happy to know that I've had years to let _this _version synthesize the right way. Now… do you prefer taking it in the arm… or the neck?"

"No… don't!" Claire yelled, startled by how much stronger her voice was now. "Please… Alexia, don't infect him… please!"

Calling to mind all of the zombies she had seen both in Raccoon City and on Rockfort Island, the young woman knew that being infected with any version of the T-Virus was a fate worse than death. On top of all that, the knowledge that the blindfolded monster she had caught glimpses of while being carried away by Steve was Alexia's own father… my God, she was just as sadistic as her brother, if not worse. The young man struggled to get out of the way while the blonde woman playfully touched the tip of the needle to both his arm and his neck, and Claire found herself begging Alexia to reconsider what she was doing… so which the blonde woman did an exaggerated pose that suggested thinking… before sticking out her tongue and giggling while resuming with the needle.

"Don't, Alexia, please don't!" Claire yelled, pulling at the restraints while more of her strength returned. "I swear I'll kill you if you touch him!"

"Kill me?!" The blonde woman asked, perking up like a dog who just smelled dinner. "Why, Ms. Redfield, that's… actually a good idea."

Although the young woman didn't understand Alexia's response, it was enough for her that the syringe was set back down while the blonde woman walked back over to where Claire was lying… and released her restraints. After offering a hand to help Claire stand up, Alexis motioned for her to follow her over to a table that had previously been covered with a sheet, which the young woman tried to do, but she was still having a good deal of trouble walking. Eventually Claire reached the table, only to gasp when Alexia pulled the sheet away to reveal… weapons?

"You must think I'm offly silly, Claire." The blonde woman said. "Spending all my time focusing on the two of you, when I've yet to measure the benefits of my own virus… so simply put, I want you to try and kill me… ooh, I know, let's make a jolly game of it!"

There were definitely some similarities between Alfred and Alexia that Claire was starting to see, including their sadism and fondness for turning life-threatening situations into games for sport. As for this game, the rules that Alexia proposed were simple; the young woman was to use every weapon on that table in an attempt to kill her, and if the blonde woman died, then Claire was free to rescue Steve and do whatever she wanted. However… if Alexia was still alive at the end of it all, then the young man was hers to play with… while Claire would become her personal servant.

The weapons, she explained, had all been taken from the soldiers that Sir Alfred had brought with him from Rockfort Island, and as curious as Claire was to find out what happened to the armed men who hadn't been killed by the blindfolded monster, she was too preoccupied between grabbing for the shotgun or the automatic rifle. Each weapon was bloodstained, at least a little, as if the previous owners had fought tooth and nail to keep her from getting them… and clearly lost.

"I wonder how a peasant girl like you will look in a pretty dress with heels." The blonde woman said while Claire looked over the weapons. "It will be nice to have someone to wash my back in the bath, and rub my feet after a hard day… you sound American, so I don't suppose you know how to make a decent cup of tea?"

"I… don't, actually." The young woman replied, deciding on the black tactical shotgun. "But you're right, I _am_ American, so I know how to _shoot_."

_Boom! Click-click. Boom!_ Without waiting for any kind of go signal, or for Alexia to be ready, Claire picked up the tactical shotgun and fired two shells into the blonde woman's chest at point blank range. The first one made her stumble backwards as the buckshot tore through her lab coat as well as the skin underneath, and the second shot sent out a spray of blood as she was knocked down. As soon as this happened, Claire's first thought was to go and rescue Steve right away, but then she stopped when she saw that Alexia was already getting up.

"What do you have, three left in the shotgun? Four? The blonde woman asked as her wounds quickly closed up. "Once you're finished with that one, I suggest the rifle."


	31. Chapter 31 T-Veronica Trials

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Thirty One: T-Veronica Trials**

"So far it seems the results for both of us are even better than expected." Alexia commented as her latest wounds from the shotgun closed up. "At your current rate of progression, the Ashford root will have you healed in maybe… fifteen minutes or so, and as for me, well… let's try the rifle next, shall we?"

Never one to be confrontational, Claire set the empty shotgun back down onto the table, and this time her hands were shaking when she picked up the assault rifle. This wasn't the first time that the young woman had seen a virally infected monster take gunfire head on and survive, but those had been brainless beasts who simply followed Umbrella's programming, while the blonde woman… she was just something else. Unfortunately, there was only a single full load of ammunition for each of the weapons on the table, more than enough to kill any _living_ thing, but… but maybe it was time for a different strategy.

_Kakka-kakka-kakka_! Aiming the rifle at Alexia's upper body and pulling the trigger, the laboratory was filled with noise as the large caliber bullets began tearing into the blonde woman's chest and head. Driven backwards as her face was blown apart, the blonde woman fell down by the time the magazine was empty, as expected, but instead of reaching for another weapon, the young woman simply dropped the rifle while running over to Steve's table.

"We gotta get outa here." Claire said, trying to find the release button for his restraints. "Where's the damn…

Suddenly her words were interrupted by a flash of light and heat as a thin wall of yellow flame just… appeared from out of nowhere, creating a barrier between herself and the young man. The young woman was confused by this, at least until she heard Alexia laughing, and then Claire's confusion turned into a gasp of fright once she finally understood what was happening. In the palm of the blonde woman's hand there was a sphere of that same yellow fire, but the strangest part was that all of the skin on Alexia's arm, at least from her fingertips all the way up to her elbow had turned green.

"Naughty, naughty, Ms. Redfield." The blonde woman laughed playfully as the flame in her hand went out. "You still have a few weapons to try, and your little boyfriend stays where he is until testing is finished."

As soon as the flame in her hand was out, the wall of flame surrounding Steve's table vanished as well, leaving only the green color of her skin, which was… actually starting to fade back into its normal color. Less than a minute later there was no evidence at all of the fire or her skin changing color, leaving the young woman's only hope being that one of the remaining weapons would finish off the blonde woman… please God, please let at least _one_ of them do the trick.

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_ Left with only a pistol, combat knife, and Sir Alfred's bolt action rifle, Claire started with the 9mm since it was what she was most comfortable with. Taking careful aim, and putting each shot into Alexia's forehead, the blonde woman fell down a couple times, but got up a little bit faster after each one as well, as if her body were adapting to the attacks. _Bang! Click-click. Bang_! Now moving onto the bolt action rifle and aiming down the surprisingly accurate sight, there was a spray of blood behind Alexia when the first bullet tore all the way through her neck.

"Die, die, die." The young woman whispered urgently with each pull of the trigger. "Please, please, _please_ die."

But it just was not to be, and soon the powerful rifle was empty as well, leaving a knife as her only hope left of stopping the blonde woman… a knife… of all the rotten luck. Well, a blade was better than trying to beat her with her bare hands, so Claire held the knife downward while running toward Alexia and jamming it into the side of her neck as hard as she could. Like with all of the other weapons she had tried, the blonde woman started out reacting like a normal person when the two of them tumbled down to the floor, but then it was over.

"Well, I'd say that was a successful test of my durability." Alexia said while slowly overpowering Claire to remove the knife from her flesh. "I'm not exactly sure about the green colored skin when I produced flame like that, but with any new experiment, there's bound to be a few hiccups."

Keeping hold of the young woman's wrist with one hand while getting to her feet, the blonde woman squeezed just enough to make her drop the blade, before pulling Claire back over to the cart where the large syringe was still sitting. She pulled Alexia back in an attempt to keep her from reaching it, trying to knock her down by kicking her in the leg and even punching her in the back of the head… which hurt, but with a simple bending backwards of her wrist, Claire was literally brought to her knees while the blonde woman tested the plunger to make sure the needle wasn't clogged.

"No, Alexia, please don't do this!" Claire begged while Steve struggled to get away. "Please, I'll do anything you want, _anything_, just don't infect him! Please!"

The young woman made one last attempt to grab for the syringe, but couldn't reach, and then it felt like her stomach dropped when she saw the needle pierce his skin. Claire wanted to scream or continue fighting, but instead her mouth just ran dry, her whole body shaking while the syringe was slowly emptied into the young man's neck, and then… nothing. No, wait, something was happening; Steve's arms, no his whole body was trembling just a little, and he was drooling while tears flowed from his eyes like… like he couldn't move.

"_Subject Two has just received the first injection of five, and is responding as expected_." The blonde woman said into the tape recorder after dragging Claire back over to it. "_Like the others, he is experiencing a rather painful paralyses as his body adapts to its new base structure, but as long as the program proceeds as planned, no mutations should take place until injection four… I'm taking my time with this one, and several hours will pass between each one for proper observation. And… I think I know how to pass the time_."

Claire was still shaking as well, wanting desperately to rescue Steve, but not knowing what she could possibly do or say that would do any good. She couldn't force Alexia to spare him, that much was obvious from all the gunfire that blonde woman had taken without breaking a sweat, and if she really _was_ like Sir Alfred, then was it even worth trying to reach her through words? Why were there so many people in the world like this, people who only wanted to cause the pain and suffering of others? With as smart as Alexia clearly was, she could have done anything with her life, and she chose… this?

"I understand that you're upset with me, Claire." The blonde woman said, kneeling down with her and putting her hand on the young woman's face. "But T-Veronica will work this time, you'll see… I mean, look at me, I've got _liters_ of the stuff in my veins, and I'm fine, I just… don't want to have to freeze _every_ subject… that would take forever."

"Alexia, please, I am _begging_ you to leave Steve alone." Claire said, looking into her eyes. "I will do _anything_ you want… I'll stay here willingly, I'll… you can do anything you want to me, just let him go, he… he's already lost so much, don't take away his humanity."

The young woman expected her to ignore her pleas or just laugh at them like her brother did, but instead Alexia looked over at the writhing young man for a moment, before politely asking Claire to excuse her for a moment. Muttering something about another opportunity to test herself, the blonde woman got up and walked over to Steve's table, where she took a deep breath before closing her eyes and putting both of her hands on the sides of his head. As soon as she did this, the young man stopped moving, as did she, and now the two of them were as still as statues.

From where the young woman was still kneeling on the floor, it looked like the two of them weren't even breathing, and this went on for over a minute before this trance, or whatever it was between the two of them was broken. Steve looked groggy and confused for a second, starting to look around a bit before the T-Veronica paralysis gripped him again same as before, but this time it was Alexia who seemed to have more taken out of her from… whatever in the hell she had just done. The blonde woman had to lean on the table to keep her balance, taking a moment to catch her breath as if this whole exercise had been exhausting to her.

"I don't see why you want to save him so badly, Claire." She said once she was able to walk back over, offering a hand to help the young woman up. "I mean, obviously he's in love with you, but he gunned down his own father, _and_ got your sister killed… not to mention what happened with my brother. Let's just say if Alfred left a bad taste for my family in _your_ mouth, your boyfriend's got you beat."

"I don't… I don't know what happened with Alfred." Claire replied, taking her hand and getting up. "But with Steve's dad and Elza, that's not the way things went… your brother locked us inside the training facility on Rockfort…

Instead of listening to what she had to say, Alexia took a deep breath and put her hands on both sides of the young woman's head, and suddenly they were no longer in Antarctica. Now the sights and sounds of the training facility were all around them, with Steve shooting the zombie that had once been his father in order to save Claire, but in slow motion so that every bullet could be seen leaving his weapon. Then everything changed again, this time with both of them being at the airfield… with Steve carrying the injured young woman to safety while that clawed monster killed Elza Walker… again in slow motion.

Wait, everything was changing again, but where were they now? It was so bright and cold, and… Antarctica? It took Claire several seconds to realize that they were back in the laboratory, where Alexia once again had to lean on the nearby table to catch her breath, but… wait a second, what the hell had just happened? It was almost like the young woman had been forced to actually relive those moments, but… but how? It was a ridiculous thought, but in addition to becoming super strong, invincible, and able to produce flame… was the blonde woman telepathic now, too?

"That's… really odd and unexpected." Alexia said once she caught her breath. "I just experienced those _same_ events in your boyfriend's mind, but… it was different, like… I'm not sure, maybe something to do with an individual's viewpoint… so Elza wasn't your sister? This will take further study, but for now, my dear Ms. Redfield, it's time you and I got cleaned up. I don't know about you, but I am in _desperate_ need of a bath."


	32. Chapter 32 History Lesson

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Thirty Two: History Lesson**

"You're not pulling a prank on me, are you, Claire?" Alexia asked after putting her own face underneath the water to get the soap out of her eyes. "My brother was supposed to wake me up in July of 1993, but is it _really_ December of 1998… hell, damn near _1999_?"

After leaving Steve to suffer in the laboratory with what the blonde woman described as a sensation similar to that of battery acid flowing through his veins, Alexia led the young woman down a long corridor into what must have been a completely different building than where she had been with Sir Alfred in the factory. Instead of an industrial complex, this place looked more like the interior of an expensive mansion, with its decorative paintings and display vases, and even marble tile in the main hall.

If Claire had been with her brother during the incident at the Spencer Estate, she would have noticed how similar the layout was to that building, well minus the destruction and zombie infestation. Everything was dusty and worn out looking, as if they hadn't been used since the summer of 1983, which was when Alexia claimed that she had gone into cryostasis for what was _supposed_ to be ten years so that the T-Veronica Virus could absorb into her body properly. Of course, this led her into a rant about how her brother probably left her frozen on purpose so that he could spend all day stretching out her favorite tops with those stupid shoulders of his.

Continuing on through the main hall and through one of the side doors behind the large staircase, the fluorescent lights clicked on to reveal the largest bathroom that Claire had ever seen. There were showers and toilets, along with a row of lockers against one of the walls, containing female clothing by the color and material she could see sticking out, and finally a very large hot-tub in the center of the room. Actually it was designed more like a bathtub, with its fiberglass surface and multiple faucets, complete with floor drain down in the center.

"I hope you don't mind it hot, Claire." The blonde woman said, turning on the faucets after gathering some old bottles of colored chemical from a nearby cabinet. "Just give me a second to put the suds in, and then we can relax."

"Wait a second." Claire replied, suddenly feeling a bit awkward. "So, you want us to take a bath… together?"

To tell the truth, the idea of a long hot bath in a giant tub like this sounded absolutely wonderful, especially with how long it had been since the young woman had even gotten the opportunity to shower, but was Alexia serious about them doing it at the same time? Apparently so, since as soon as the chemicals started making bubbles in the water, she dropped her lab coat on the floor and got in… yep, that lab coat had really been the only thing she had been wearing that whole time.

"You know, for a country that idolizes sex and violence, you Americans sure are prudish sometimes." The blonde woman replied, sighing as she relaxed in the rising water. "In Japan, they have entire _buildings_ that are used for people bathing together, and last I checked we're both girls, so get in… or should I be paying more attention to Steve?"

The last thing Claire needed was her hurting the young man any further, so the young woman swallowed her pride, and got undressed. Alexia was right about one thing, the hot water did feel really good once she got in, and at least the bubbles on top of the water covered her up once they got high enough. Splashing at her playfully as if they were childhood friends or something, the blonde woman teased her by asking _if that was so hard_, and telling Claire not to take this the wrong way, but she smelled absolutely _awful_. That was to be expected after a long period as Umbrella's prisoner, and again, it was really nice to be able to relax for a while.

"I can't wait to see how much the world's changed in fifteen years." Alexia said, sinking down farther in the water. "Once everything's done here, you and I are going to do some traveling before I take control of Umbrella again… and you know where I want to go first? Come on, Claire, see if you can guess."

Barely knowing this woman at all, Claire had no idea where she wanted to travel, so she guessed big places like Paris and London, but each was wrong. Surprisingly, the first place Alexia wanted to go to was Raccoon City, and not just to collect more of what she called the Ashford Roots from up in the mountains. Apparently, the blonde woman had taken a liking to the Grill 13 restaurant downtown last time she was there… in 1983… and then she got really excited about looking up an old friend that she had there.

"I think you'd like him, Claire; he's a rookie cop, er… well, he _was_ a rookie in '83." Alexia explained, taking a second to dunk her head again while washing her hair. "My family was there inspecting the new Umbrella facilities, and Tobias was given the job of escorting me around town; there was a killer loose and he was there to keep me safe, you see, and Tobias really wanted to catch him and make detective, but… he just didn't have really… _any_ deductive skills at all."

This last part actually came as a relief, since for a moment Claire had thought the blonde woman had been talking about a younger Tobias Liquid, but no deductive skills? Couldn't be him… at least not until the blonde woman started talking about how badly she had wanted to know who the killer was, but there had only been a week left before she was leaving town… so Alexia decided to give her friend a little _boost_ in the mental areas. Catching the young woman off guard by saying 'here, I'll show you', she put her hands on Claire's head just like she had done in the laboratory, and suddenly they were somewhere else.

Everything moved in extremely slow motion as the old, familiar sights and sounds of the Grill 13 restaurant came into focus, with Alexia sitting at a booth with a frustrated young rookie cop, whose nameplate in fact read _T. Liquid_. The calendar nearby on the wall was open to March, 1983, and Claire believed it based on the shoulder pads of the jacket the blonde woman was wearing, but then the scene changed to something darker. Now Tobias was looking the other way as if something called his attention, and at the same time Alexia was stealthily pouring the contents of a small vial into his coffee.

_"You drugged him?!" Claire exclaimed, her own voice echoing as if in a tunnel. "I thought you were friends?!_

_"That's not a rufee, you silly thing." The blonde woman's voice also echoed. "What kind of monster do you think I am? It's a prototype variant of the Queen Ant Virus, you know, where the T-Virus came from in nature? I made that version to increase the perceptive range of the human mind, so I figured it would either make him the greatest detective to ever live… or kill him."_

Well, that _definitely_ answered the question as to what kind of monster she was, Claire thought again when the scene changed to the younger Tobias having some kind of seizure outside in an alley while Alexia spoke into that tape recorder of hers to document the experiment. How could she do that to her friend? Then again, she had done the same thing to her own father, so why not? This time when the whole scene changed, however, the experiment appeared to have been successful.

The scene was changing quickly now, first with an angry looking Tobias kicking open the door of someone's house, and then him pointing accusingly at a middle aged man in court, finally ending with him and the blonde woman sitting in that same booth at the Grill 13, this time smiling and holding up a newspaper with a headline reading _ROOKIE COP SHUTS DOWN KILLER._ In all the time Claire had known Tobias Liquid, nothing had ever gotten past him, no matter how hard a criminal had tried… and this was why… he hadn't been born a good detective… Alexia made him one with that virus all the way back in '83, and no one knew.

Now everything turned white again just like it had done in the lab the first time, meaning that the young woman was released from whatever kind of telepathic hold that was… but something was wrong. When Claire attempted to take in that first gasping breath, there was nothing but water, meaning that she must have sunk under in the confusion… the same lingering confusion that didn't let the young woman know which way was up. She struggled to get to the surface, but only found walls no matter which way she tried, at least until she felt a hand grabbing onto her hair and lifting her up.

"Up is _this_ way, Ms. Redfield." Alexia laughed while Claire took in that first gasping, coughing breath. "Come on, in through the nose, out through the mouth, it's only a little water."

Even though it was _only water_, the young woman had taking in a pretty big mouthful of it before being rescued, so it took a little while for her to cough it all out. The blonde woman held her up for the whole time, patting Claire on the back and making sure that she didn't slip back underwater again until she was able to sit up on her own. It was strange, sometimes Alexia was a complete, soulless monster with no regard for anyone, and other times it was almost like she cared, like… so was she crazy? Was she just evil or psychotic?

"Well, at least we know you'll be _clean_ now." The blonde woman laughed as they both relaxed again on separate sides of the tub. "Part of me wants to relax in here forever, and part of me can't wait to see what you look like when you're all dressed up… oh well, that can wait a little longer. So, now that you know a bit about _me_, it's time to share things about yourself, Claire… I'm sure we're going to become the best of friends, so I want to know _everything_ there is to know about little miss Claire Redfield. So go on… start at the beginning."


	33. Chapter 33 Restraint

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Thirty Three: Restraint**

"So, Raccoon City's just… gone?" Alexia had asked, reasonably in disbelief upon hearing the news. "Just nuked out of existence one night?"

The topic had come up while Claire was basically telling the blonde woman her entire life story, and there was no point in lying about anything since she could just do that mind thing at any time, so she didn't hold anything back. Of course, being from the early 80's, Alexia had assumed at first that the Russians finally attacked, so first the young woman had to tell her about the fall of the Soviet Union, and then explain the whole thing that happened involving the T-Virus outbreak a few months ago.

Falling silent for a while once the whole story had been told, the blonde woman had been pleased to hear how far her friend Tobias had advanced in the RPD, although not so much to hear that he had probably been killed at another Umbrella facility. So that was the end of her plan to revisit the Grill 13 after gathering more of the Ashford Root, since the whole city was a crater now, and the radiation had probably corrupted the plants, so yeah… oh well, at least the experiment had been a success, as far as healing Claire anyway.

"Perhaps I'll reassert myself as head of Umbrella sooner than expected." Alexia said, slipping into her chosen purple dress once she was dried from the bath. "Senior leadership seems to need a lesson in protocol, and then hopefully their replacements will act more responsibly… well, take a look at _you_."

The blonde woman certainly dressed the part of nobility, with her purple and black dress, arm length gloves, and high heel shoes… but Claire was not so comfortable in those sort of things, especially with her new outfit being an exact copy of Alexia's, aside from its green color… and the young woman couldn't even remember the last time she wore heels for anything. This was ridiculous, Claire thought… the whole concept of playing _dressup_ with a superpowered sociopath from the 1980's was just stupid, but yet there she was, trying not to stumble in those awful shoes, and all because she and Alexia were the same size.

"I just have a few more experiments to wrap up, and then we can be on our way… well, aside from your boyfriend." The blonde woman explained, now walking arm-in-arm with Claire as they stepped back into the main hall. "But I'm actually more interested in this brother of yours… I think we can find the time to locate him once we leave here, but tell me… is he cute?"

"I don't think he's your type." The young woman quickly replied, not wanting her to _ever_ meet Chris. "And he's not exactly fond of Umbrella."

Now leading Claire down another long hallway, Alexia replied that while she and Alfred had a lot in common; temperament, taste in clothing, and good looks, the two of them differed wildly when it came to the type of man they were attracted to. While her brother preferred weak, pretty ones like Steve who were basically useless, the blonde woman was more into men who were strong and rugged, the kind who could actually protect their woman from, say, getting strapped to a table and getting experimented on, just for example.

Claire didn't really have anything to say back to this, not wanting her to have any more of an interest in Chris than was already there, but then the young woman forgot the conversation completely when she saw what was behind the door at the end of the hall. It was another laboratory, sort of like the one she and Steve had woken up in, but bigger with more tables… and half a dozen men strapped down to them. In the corner of the room was a pile of familiar looking black riot gear and rifles, so… so were these men the soldiers who were working for Alfred?

"I discovered these men trying to abandon their posts shortly after I prevented your escape, Claire." Alexia explained, going up to a small freezer and pulling the door open. "With such cowards serving him, it's no wonder Alfred was killed, and if there's one thing the Ashford family _doesn't_ tolerate, its disloyalty."

As the cold steam from the freezer dissipated, the young woman was able to see that it contained several large syringes, each one containing a different color substance inside. The blonde woman admitted that she had to add food coloring to remember which strain of the T-Veronica Virus was which, and that she also couldn't decide which one she wanted to test on this group of volunteers… so instead, she just decided to inject a different one into each man and see what happened.

"These haven't been tested yet, so this should be loads of fun." Alexia said cheerfully, smirking at the frightened men on the tables. "Be a good girl, Claire, and set these syringes out so they can melt, would you?"

"Alexia, wait." Claire said urgently, stopping her from walking away by taking both hands. "Wait, please, just… just hear me out, okay? Remember when you used those plants to save me? Remember how good that felt? It's because you did something genuinely good, and what if you keep doing that instead of… _this_?"

The blonde woman raised an eyebrow, but the young woman kept going, explaining that the outbreak that caused Raccoon City's destruction was caused by this very kind of experimentation. The scientists knew they were doing something immoral, and eventually they lost control of what they were working on, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people who honestly didn't have to die. It was greed like this which was causing the general public to start distrusting Umbrella, but it didn't have to be that way.

"Once you take over the company, what if you turned everything around?" Claire continued, trying to give a hopeful smile regardless of how nervous she was. "Alexia, you're so intelligent that I'm sure you have a hundred more ideas like those colored plants, and if you start marketing _those_ instead of these viruses, then you can win back the people's trust. You, Alexia, _you_ could make Umbrella something to be proud of again, and I could be right there with you the whole time. I mean, wouldn't it be more fun to make the world a better place… and have everyone love you for it?"

"She's right, everyone would love you!" The nearest restrained soldier quickly added. "Just let us go, and…

Suddenly his words became a scream when the blonde woman snapped her fingers, causing the skin on her arm to turn green again as the flame appeared in her hand… at the same time that the soldier's entire table was engulfed. Gasping with shock, Claire stepped backwards with her hands over her nose and mouth, almost falling down because of those damn shoes… and then the screams stopped. The fire in Alexia's hand vanished at the same time as the one around the table, causing her skin to fade back into its normal color, while revealing that there was almost nothing left of the soldier but some charred remains.

The other five soldiers were naturally frightened by this, whimpering and pulling on their restraints in an effort to free themselves, but instead of treating them the same way, the blonde woman took Claire by the arm and led her back out into the narrow hallway, where she… she gave the young woman a hug? As if trying to comfort a close friend, Alexia shushed her while stroking her hair and telling her that everything was going to be all right, going so far as to give Claire a kiss on the cheek before taking both of her hands once they separated.

"This is _my_ fault; I forgot you were born into a peasant family." The blonde woman began. "Most of what I'm doing here must seem like… like _witchcraft_ or something to you, but sweetheart, my work _isn't_ evil, it's _really_ not. I'm _trying_ to make the world a better place, that's what all of this is for, it's just that sometimes… you know, a few unimportant people have to be sacrificed during research… that's how they cured Polio."

"Alexia, _every_ life is important, can't you understand that?" Claire replied, her voice breaking as the tears started again. "There _aren't_ any unimportant people; they've all got parents, and children, and dreams… _please_ don't be like the rest of Umbrella, they… I'm _from_ Raccoon City, that kind of _research_ destroyed my home and killed all my friends… please, Alexia, just please make it all stop, _please_."

Alexia hugged her again when the young woman completely broke down into sobbing, trembling mess while all of the memories of Raccoon City came flooding back into her mind, especially her torture at the hands of Brian Irons. Being strapped down to that table in the laboratory had made her remember about being in the same position down in the Police Chief's _workshop_, where he had hurt all those other girls before indulging in his hobby of… of _taxidermy_.

The blonde woman tried to calm her down, but Claire was now in a full blown panic attack, remembering how Irons had told her about trying unsuccessfully to get her down there when she was like fourteen, and then… and then she felt Alexia's hands go on her head before everything changed. All around the young woman was that awful room underneath the Chief's office, with herself strapped down to the table while Irons held the blade against her skin, and actually encouraging her to scream for help. This scene changed a second later to show young Sherry Birkin being thrown backwards as she fired the shotgun, grazing Claire while most of the shell hit the Chief.

_"You poor thing, that must have been awful." The blonde woman's voice echoed. "But what if we could stop it before it begins? Brace yourself, Ms. Redfield, I'm going to try something, and it might hurt."_

Suddenly the scene changed to a slow motion version of when Irons had captured the young woman in the library by knocking her out, but then a horrific flash of pain shot through Claire's mind as everything scrambled like when a VHS tape lost its tracking. This only lasted for a second, though, and when the scene resumed something was different… starting by the library door being kicked open by… Leon?

_"Yes, the valiant hero charges in to save poor little Claire." Alexia's voice echoed, sounding a bit strained from the effort. "And in true American fashion, he does so with guns-a-blazin'."_

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_ The scene changed to show the rookie cop emptying his pistol into the Chief's chest, and then it changed again to show Claire leaping into his arms as they kissed… with Irons lying dead on the floor. Another flash of pain made the young woman cry out while she heard the blonde woman saying something about trying to make it permanent, and then everything went white before Claire found herself standing in the hallway again with Alexia… now no longer crying as she struggled to get through the confusion she was now experiencing.

"I can't believe that worked." The blonde woman said as they separated, taking Claire's hands again. "I mean… good thing Leon was able to rescue you in time."

"Uh… right… yeah, who knows what Irons had planned… I think." The young woman said, still feeling pain in her head, and having to lean on Alexia to remain standing. "Leon… God, why did I leave him? I'm so stupid."

Shushing her again, Alexia repeated that everything was going to be all right, and that she was going to prove to Claire that she wasn't like everyone else at Umbrella… not by abandoning her plan to make the world better, but by showing what she considered _major restraint on the young woman's moral grounds_. However, to do this they were going to have to go back to the blonde woman's office and get a coin for her to flip.

"My experiments _must_ continue, but you're right, I could be a little more… merciful." Alexia explained. "So, I'm going to flip a coin, and if it lands on heads, I let your boyfriend go while my brother's soldiers stay for treatment. However, if it lands on tails, the soldiers go and poor little _Steve_ stays. I've never compromised like this for _anyone_ before, Claire, so I hope you appreciate now how much I care about you, okay? Now, onto more pleasant things… tell me more about this brother of yours."


	34. Chapter 34 Rockfort Island

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Thirty Four: Rockfort Island**

Getting a last minute flight had been more expensive than he had hoped, as had renting a boat a few hours later when the harbor master clearly had a low opinion of _American Tourists_, but Chris Redfield was finally on his way to save his sister… as long as that Kennedy guy's information was good. The former STARS member didn't know how long Claire had actually been in Umbrella's custody, but even an _hour _with those monsters was too long, and the sun was just coming up when the island came into view.

The whole thing was up on top of what looked like a high plateau, with no visible way to dock a boat, at least not on anything resembling a shoreline, so how the hell was he supposed to get up there? As his boat got closer, Chris began to see smoke rising from the buildings on top of the plateau, and in some places the flickering light of fire, so… what exactly had happened up there? If the whole place was in that kind of condition, then there was no time for him to circle the island looking for a place to dock, leaving only one option.

Getting up to the island was easy enough, as was tying off the boat to one of the larger rocks that were sticking up above the water, but now it looked like he was going to have to climb up the side of the mountain itself. Back in the Air Force, things like climbing up the face of a rock wall without any climbing equipment was a normal part of training, and… although it had been a while, he was pretty sure that it could still be done. So putting on the backpack he brought along, and carefully stepping over the rocks to reach what looked like the best start point, the former STARS member began to climb.

Learning his lesson from what happened with the mission last summer at the Spencer Estate, Chris had no intention of entering another Umbrella facility unprepared, especially when the safety of his sister was concerned. That being said, before renting the boat, the former STARS member paid a little visit to one of his contacts in this part of the world, putting together all of the weapons and equipment that he was likely needed for such a rescue operation. Things like a silenced machine pistol, a satellite phone to call for extraction, and even some small explosives that could…

About halfway up the rock wall, already struggling to find and hold onto any parts that stuck out far enough to be used as grips, a piece of rock came loose, nearly causing him to fall. His fingers burning with the effort of holding on with one hand as his body spun around, Chris bounced a little against the wall, trying to brace with his feet while turning around… and then he heard something _rip_ at about the same time he felt a little lighter. Turns out this was because the backpack got caught on a sharp piece of rock during this effort, and suddenly he was no longer wearing it.

"Aw, shit." The former STARS member said, looking down just in time to see the backpack vanish into the water. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

Okay, with the sudden loss of his backpack, which held almost _everything_ useful that he brought to the island, Chris was now left with pretty much only the knife in his boot, and the 9mm pistol in his hip holster with which to carry out this whole rescue mission. No, wait, there was a compass in his other pouch, so that was something… oh, God fucking damn it! Striking the wall with the bottom of his fist, he took a few deep breaths to calm down… this wasn't the time to lose his temper, not when Claire was in danger… he had survived the Spencer Estate with less, so it was okay… it was okay.

"Keep going, Chris." He said to himself, looking up to see how far he still had to go. "It's not too far… Claire needs you."

So the struggle continued, with Chris grunting and groaning a lot more than he had done the last time such a climb had been attempted, but after what felt like hours… hell, it probably _was_ hours, the former STARS member sighed with relief when he felt his hand grab onto the edge of the plateau. Grunting even louder while bringing one leg up over the edge, he dragged himself up onto flat land at last, and what was waiting there was… not what he had expected of a secret Umbrella prison.

It looked like the area he was in had once contained several small buildings, most of which had been destroyed by what looked like a bombing raid from planes, judging by the pattern of the blast craters, but there weren't any bodies around. Maybe everyone on this part of the island had gotten away through the destroyed sections of fence that might have once created a perimeter a short distance away. The sections that remained were actually pretty impressive, tall with barbed wire at the top as if it was meant to keep people… hey, was that a guard tower over there?

After having to climb up the side of a cliff freehand, and then losing most of his equipment, it was nice to think that his luck had changed enough to have climbed right up into the island's prison complex, which was actually the most likely place to find Claire. Oh God, please let her have been somewhere else besides those blown up shacks or whatever the smaller buildings were. Except for the distant guard tower, and a single intact building that had no windows, nothing else remained standing after… whatever had happened to this place, and Chris needed to start somewhere, so the windowless building it was.

Way off in the distance, the former STARS member could hear the rumble of machinery, probably large scale generators for the island's power system, but also the unmistakable sound of airplane engines, which made sense because if the base couldn't be accessed by water, then there _had _to be an airfield. Clearly this place had been attacked, anyone could see that, but the question was by who, and where were they? If the mysterious invaders were using the airfield as base, then right there in the prison was the most logical place for Umbrella forces to gather, but there was absolutely no one around.

_Squeak_… the hinges on the metal door made a soft, drawn out noise when he carefully pulled the door open, but there was nothing but darkness inside, and even less when he listened for any sounds of movement. There was so much wind outside that it was impossible to tell whether or not anything was there, so Chris stepped inside and allowed the door to quietly shut again behind him. Hmm, still wasn't much to hear now that the wind was blocked, but wait a second, what was that? It looked like the dim flickering of orange light… like a fire, maybe?

Carefully drawing his pistol so as not to make any new noise of his own, the former STARS member began stealthily moving toward the source of the light, but nearly tripping over something metal after only going a few meters. Thankfully not a lot of sound had been made from this, but Chris was surprised to find that it was a wall made of metal bars as he moved along it. Being that this place was most likely a prison, the presence of a large cage shouldn't have bothered him, but then he rounded the corner to see that the light was coming from a zippo lighter that had been left sitting on a desk… and what _did_ bother him was the sound of a hammer being pulled back when a gun barrel touched the back of his head.

"Do the smart thing and drop it." A voice said from behind. "You're not one of my men, and you're not dressed like those HCF assholes… but you don't look like a prisoner, either… so you've got till I finish talking to identify yourself."

"All right, just don't shoot." The former STARS member answered, bending down to put his pistol on the floor. "I don't know what HCF is, and I'm not a prisoner… I'm here looking for a girl… maybe you've seen her."

As soon as the pistol was down, Chris took advantage of the low light levels to slip the knife out of his boot, and then slicing it across his attacker's leg to put him off balance. At the same time, the former STARS member grabbed the man's weapon as he stood up straight, and with a hard boot to the chest the fight was over. His attacker was down, so Chris picked up his own pistol, now pointing both of them at this stranger, and feeling more than ready to start shooting if he didn't like what was said next.

"Okay, asshole, let's start again." He said while his attacker groaned in pain. "Claire Redfield, where is she? I know she's a prisoner here, and I swear to God if you people have done _anything_ to hurt her, I'm gonna…

"She's gone." The stranger interrupted, trying to sit up. "You _did_ say Claire Redfield, right? Holy shit… I'm guessing that makes you Chris… boy, you gotta have balls of _solid rock_ coming here with the price the company's got on you."

As much as Chris was enjoying this friendly conversation now that he wasn't in danger of getting shot in the back of the head, so he reminded the stranger, who was clearly with Umbrella, to stay on topic. In response, his would be attacker explained that Claire had escaped from custody right after the bombing started… and had even gotten him medicine for his gunshot wound, even though he was the one who captured her back in Paris. It really made him think about things, and that was great, but right now all the former STARS member wanted to know was where his sister had gone to.

"A bunch of planes took off last night." The stranger continued, propping himself up against the wall, and trying to stand. "I know Claire and a couple other prisoners were heading to the airfield, but after that I don't know… you'd have to go to the airfield and check the takeoff logs in the tower; the computer there tracks the course of everything leaving, if it still works."

"This tower… if I help you walk, can you take me there?" Chris asked, lowering the weapons. "If you do that, then you can use the communications to call for help, I'll go after Claire, and then we can forget we ever saw each other."

For a second the stranger just looked at him, before laughing a bit, and explaining that it wasn't as easy to get around the island as it was for his sister anymore. The attack must have broken something in the lab out back, because the dead weren't staying that way, and they were hungry for human flesh. What he was describing sounded a lot like the T-Virus infected zombies inside the Spencer Estate, and if something like that had happened there on this island, then… yeah, things weren't going to be so easy… but there wasn't much choice.


	35. Chapter 35 The Island Burns

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Thirty Five: The Island Burns**

Once he had been warned about the outbreak across the island, Chris had expected to fight off monsters like the ones he had dealt with at the Spencer Estate, or the ones he had received reports about from the Raccoon City outbreak. However, as he and the stranger, who finally introduced himself as Captain Rodrigo Raval of Umbrella's security forces there, exited the building and passed the guard tower to leave the detention center, there was just… nothing.

There were bodies, to be sure; the road was littered with both infected and normal people, Umbrella, prisoners, and whoever the hell HCF was alike, but apparently the former STARS member was too late for the battle. A few weapons had been dropped amongst the carnage, so Chris picked up an automatic rifle and put the sling over one arm so that he could fire it one handed if needed, while helping Rodrigo walk… and that was when he noticed that all of the infected people had been shot in the head… as were the normal ones.

"Whoever these HCF people are, they've got experience with zombies." He explained as they continued down the road. "Destroying the brain is really the only way to kill them so that they _stay _dead… I really hope Claire got out before this outbreak happened."

"The dead started rising just before the planes began taking off." The Captain explained, groaning a little when they had to step slightly upward over a speed bump. "I haven't seen Alfred Ashford, the Commander here, or his personal guard since the attack started, so I gotta assume he took off too."

Wow, what a great man to work for, Chris thought as he looked around at the other buildings. Just takes off at the first sign of trouble, and leaves all his men to fend for themselves… heh, at least Albert Wesker had stayed at the Spencer Estate with everyone else from STARS until the end. Of course, there really wasn't a lot to worry about saving on this island, since the fires were spreading to the point where a lot of the buildings were already engulfed, including ones that Rodrigo identified as the administration building and some kind of training center.

"_Sir_ Alfred's a spoiled, entitled little prick." The Captain continued. "His family basically _ran _Umbrella for a couple generations, but this weirdo isn't even qualified to run a backwater junk-heap like this place."

It was a long and uneventful walk to the airfield, so the former STARS member had plenty of time to listen to everything Rodrigo knew about the people who had kidnapped his sister… and the more he heard about this Alfred Ashford character, the more Chris hated his guts. Apparently his grandfather had been a top-notch scientist who founded Umbrella along with someone referred to as Old Man Spencer, but Alfred's father was a _tool_ who disgraced the family… somehow, and the currently absent Commander of Rockfort Island was just about the weirdest guy one could meet.

"I guess everyone expected _Alexia_ Ashford, Alfred's, uh, _sister_, to take over everything." The Captain explained as they passed the burning training complex. "I heard she's a _beautiful _girl with an IQ of _500 _or something like that, but according to Alfred she became a total recluse, and no one's seen her in years."

"I'd hide too, if my family was a bunch of Umbrella sickos." The former STARS member replied. "But if this girl wants to hide, then let her; all I care about is getting my sister back."

Still unobstructed all the way up to the point of passing through the destroyed gate to the airfield, Chris could tell that there were still people on the island, since a small number of planes were parked near the runway with their engines idling, as if ready to make a quick escape if needed. The good news was that the control tower was on the opposite side of the field from where the aircraft and people were… but then Rodrigo stopped moving suddenly upon spotting another body lying on the pavement.

A prisoner, based on the torn up orange jumpsuit and collar she was wearing, the Captain seemed to recognize this deceased blonde woman, and… instead of being shot in the head like the others, her front torso had been nearly ripped to shreds by what looked like a really long blade, or… or maybe claws. She hadn't turned into a zombie, so there was no need to waste a bullet or call attention to themselves with a gunshot, but Rodrigo just kept standing there even when Chris urged him to move.

"This is… _was_ Elza Walker." The Captain said, sniffling as if saddened by the sight. "She and Claire were cellmates, she… Elza took your sister under her wing, and was looking after her so that…

"And now she's _dead_ because of Umbrella _and_ their goons." The former STARS member interrupted, his tone grim while squeezing Rodrigo's arm to the point of pain. "I'm a man of my word, and I'll keep our deal, but I swear to God damn _Christ_… if I find my sister dead in this hellhole, I'll… I'll invent _new_ ways to cause you pain."

His patience officially lost for anyone who worked for the company, Chris pulled the Captain away from the body so that they could continue on toward the control tower. That boot he had given Rodrigo to the chest back at the detention facility had partially reopened his stomach wound, and as much as he wanted to either leave the Umbrella shithead to his fate of shoot him right there… the former STARS member was still willing to help him get into the tower's first floor so that he could get a first aid kit or whatever was there.

"I know I did bad… and I didn't deserve Claire's help." The Captain said when they were almost there. "Just like I don't deserve yours, but… I'll still thank you for it like I did her… your sister's an angel, Chris… she really is."

Chris didn't reply, instead just taking a deep breath to try and swallow his anger toward this person and everyone like him, and then pushing open the door to the airfield's control tower. Except for a couple people in riot armor, two of them having been violently gunned down while the third had been executed by a single bullet to the head while his hands were zip-tied behind his back, the whole place was deserted. The gunfire that killed the first two soldiers had really done a number on the place; peppering the concrete walls, shattering a couple windows, and destroying the coffee maker… but the first aid kit on the wall looked intact, so this was where he and Rodrigo parted ways.

"Thank you, Chris." The Captain said as he sat on a plastic chair in reach of the kit. "I really hope you find your sister."

Again, the former STARS member didn't respond, instead just heading right for the stairs at the far end of the room, and then walking up to the second floor. All of the computers and communication screens were dark, not that he really knew how to use Umbrella's system… or really _any_ computer system for that matter… but still, how hard could it be to find the most recent flight takeoff logs? Yeah… piece of cake… just gotta find the power switch, and… and where in the God damn hell was the power switch?

Oh yeah, Chris thought as he searched high and low around the room, he was off to a _great _start to tracking down his sister, if he couldn't even figure out how to turn the airfield's computer systems on. There was power to the building, since the lights above him were on, at least the ones that weren't broken, so he kept looking around with no further progress, until out of desperation the former STARS member just started flipping all of the switches on the wall that he could find.

Lights went on and off, as did something that sounded like the building's heating and cooling system, and then finally the very last switch, which was a lot harder to move, brought the whole place to life with a hard _click_. In unison, all of the computers and monitors in the large, open room began beeping and humming, activating familiar systems like the facility's radar and weather forecasting systems… but also a lot of other ones that just looked like a bunch of random letters and numbers on the screens.

With a little bit of patience, Chris was able to figure out a few of the screens, such as how many planes were lined up for runway access, and what the air traffic was like in the air currently, but nothing about the course data from flights that had left out in the past twenty four hours or so. For a moment there was a glimmer of hope when he thought about checking the paper copies of the tower's logs, but then he remembered that this wasn't an option, because there had to be _people_ working in there to print it off.

"Sure, Chris, you can track a nineteen year old American college student halfway around the world." He grumbled to himself, leaning on one of the cabinets. "Yeah, no sweat… Jesus, I can't believe I'm saying this… but I wish Tobias Liquid was here."

The former STARS member hated Tobias, _hated him_ since the day they met, but if anyone could have hunted down Claire Redfield with almost nothing to go on, it would have been him. Damn it, all these computers and systems were getting him nowhere, and his sister was in more and more danger with each passing second, so what in the purple _fuck_ was he supposed to do?! _Wham_! Kicking one of the data cabinets, Chris jumped when the largest monitor screen in the room suddenly came to life, nothing but static at first, but then slowly focusing into the image of a woman who appeared to be trying to… maybe fix the screen on her end?

She continued to adjust something that was just above her screen, apparently not realizing that her image was coming through yet, but man… this woman was _hot_. Long blonde hair, green eyes, slender build… and a _great_ view of her cleavage in the cute purple dress that she was wearing… but then she gasped, visibly startled by seeing him through the screen on her end, before… her eyes took a moment to look him up and down.

"Hi there." Chris said, taking a good look at her as well before waving. "Does this have audio, too? Can you hear me? Hey, sweetheart, hello?"

"_Uh, yes… hi_." She answered, starting to crack a nervous smile, but then clearing her throat. "_Er, sorry, I've forgotten myself… ahem… pleased to meet you, my name is Lady Alexia Ashford, and… oh God, please tell me you're Claire's brother_."


	36. Chapter 36 Alexia's Number

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Thirty Six: Alexia's Number**

Chris had only heard a little about the reclusive sister of the island's Commander from what Rodrigo had been telling him during the walk, but apparently this… incredibly beautiful woman on the monitor screen was her. It was also a bit of a shock to hear that she knew Claire… not only that, but that she had been able to identify the former STARS member as her brother. Had the blonde woman left the island during the attack at the same time as all the others? Maybe this was his chance to locate her, as long as Alexia didn't end the transmission.

"Yeah, I'm Claire's brother." He quickly answered while the screen flickered for a second. "I'm Chris Redfield, is… is my sister safe? Where is she, can I speak to her?"

"_Aw, well aren't you a caring big brother_?" She replied, sitting down in front of the screen and leaning her face on one hand. "_You can relax, handsome, Claire's fine, but she's had a rough few days, so I gave her something to help her sleep. I'm an MD, by the way, so I know what I'm doing, and I got my PhD in Bio-Chemistry, so I can mix my own prescriptions, too_."

For a moment Chris didn't know what to say back to these claims, not just because they were really impressive if they were true, but because Alexia didn't look any older than Jill Valentine at the _most_. His own academic achievements weren't exactly comparable to them, either, since the former STARS member hadn't been a very good student in high school, and had been forced to get his GED in order to join the Air Force as soon as he turned eighteen.

"_So, Claire tells me you're a qualified pilot_." The blonde woman continued, twirling some of her hair with her finger. "_I suppose you'd have to be if you came to Rockfort Island… only an idiot would try coming by boat with those high cliffs, right? So be honest… in all your time flying, did you ever become a member of the Mile High Club_?"

Yes, he knew what that was, but the question caught Chris so off guard that he started turning red in the face, only to have Alexia start laughing heartily before reassuring him that she was just _messing_ with him. Forcing himself to laugh a little, mostly to keep from offending her so that she would stay on the line, Chris returned the subject to his sister, asking this time what had happened while she was on the island, and more importantly, where they had all gone after escaping the HCF in the planes.

The blonde woman surprised him again by claiming that she hadn't been on Rockfort Island with Claire, but from her condition upon arrival, the experience couldn't have been pleasant. Alexia went on to casually describe just how close to death Claire had been, but reassuring him that she had restored his sister back to perfect health with a cure of her own design, slyly adding that she wouldn't mind discussing the whole thing further with him… perhaps over dinner?

Had Chris heard that last part right? Had the blonde woman just asked him out on a date? Something like that hardly seemed appropriate given the circumstances, and also… literally _everything_ else about this whole situation. Was she messing with him again? Regardless, the most important thing here was still to find Claire, and to do that the former STARS member was going to need to know where she was. So he called her bluff, saying that he would love a chance to get to know Alexia in person, but then adding that he didn't even know her phone number, as kind of a cheesy flirting joke to get her to reveal her location.

"_My number? Why, its 867-5309_." The blonde woman started to sing while smiling. "_Jenny, don't change your number, I need to make you mine, Jenny I've called your number, 867-5309, 867-5309_."

Chris knew that song, but it had been a really long time since he had heard it, like… as far back as when he was just a kid, but Alexia had made the reference to it as quickly as people had done when it had first been released. Another forced laugh to go along with her, and then finally after giggling a little bit more in a way that was really, _really_ cute, the blonde woman told him that her location was _Latitude -82.17 degrees, by Longitude 135 degrees_… so she was south, like… _really_ south.

"_The flight from Rockfort Island will take you several hours_." Alexia continued, smiling a little more. "_I can't wait to meet you in person… don't keep me waiting, Chris_."

She winked at him, before reaching up above the screen again, this time causing the monitor to go black. What an odd girl, the former STARS member thought while picturing her smiling while twirling her hair… oh well, from his experience with women, the best looking ones were _always_ at least a little weird. To be fair, Rodrigo _had_ said that Alexia was a reclusive shut-in, so maybe her lack of contact with people was what caused her to be a little awkward during their conversation… but God _damn_ she was beautiful.

Maybe things were starting to look up for Chris after all, and not only was he going to have a relatively easy time rescuing his sister, but now apparently he had a dinner date with a smoking hot blonde who had a _Doctorate_. First thing's first, however, and if any of this was to happen, the former STARS member was going to need a plane. That rental guy back at the mainland was an asshole, so he could come and get his _own _boat back if it meant that much to him, and… okay, now to find the best way to steal a plane.

"Good news, Rodrigo, I'll be out of your hair in just a bit." Chris said, walking back down the stairs to the first floor. "Just tell me if there's any planes left that don't belong to those HCF guys you were talking about, and I'll… hey, Rodrigo, you awake?"

The Captain was sitting on the couch next to the first aid box where he left him, but now Rodrigo had slumped down in the seat with his head tilted all the way back so that it was resting on the back. This couldn't have been a comfortable position, and besides this was no time to sleep, so the former STARS member walked over to him. Calling his name a couple times, the Captain was unresponsive, so Chris shook him, causing Rodrigo's head to roll sideways… a lot farther than it should have been able to, as if… as if the man's _neck_ had been broken.

"When I heard you talking, I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming." A deep and _very_ familiar voice said from behind. "Imagine, _two _Redfields in as many days… the universe must have a soft spot for me."

No… no, this wasn't possible, the former STARS member thought to himself as he very slowly turned around to face the owner of the voice. He had recognized it instantly, since no one else that he had _ever_ known spoke in such a monotone, passively threatening manner, but it couldn't be him, because the owner of that voice was dead. In fact, he had died back at the Spencer Estate, executed at the hands of his own cruel experiment… but yet there he was… standing there plain as day, and very _not_ dead… somehow.

"W… Wesker?" Chris stammered, shocked nearly to the point of not being able to talk. "What… how… what?"

"As articulate as ever; it is _so_ good to see you again, Chris." The blond haired man replied, smirking as he adjusted his sunglasses. "You know, I came in here just to kill your friend, and if I hadn't heard you having _phone sex_ up there with Alexia Ashford, well… I might have missed you completely."

Now that the former STARS member had a moment to process what was going on, he realized that yes, the traitorous former Captain of STARS really was still alive, and also that he must have been the one who broke Rodrigo's neck… hey, wait a second, Wesker said that he had seen _two _Redfields in as many days. Did that mean that he had encountered Claire? Either way, this man was a murderer, and was too dangerous to live, so Chris started to raise his rifle, when… something _impossible_ happened.

Readying the weapon as fast as he could, the former STARS member was suddenly overtaken when the blond haired man became a blur of motion… crossing the room in less than a second? Before Chris even understood what was happening, the rifle had been pulled from his hands, and one of Wesker's fists struck him in the stomach… hard enough to lift him off his feet… and now he was flying through the air. _Crash_! Landing on top of a table, and breaking right through it, the former STARS member rolled and bounced his way across the floor until coming to a stop against the far wall, where he coughed and struggled just to start rolling back over.

What… in the hell… just happened? Struggling just to get up to his hands and knees, Chris was reaching for the pistol in his hip holster, when suddenly the blond haired man was on him again. Taking the pistol and tossing it across the room, Wesker grabbed the former STARS member by the throat with one hand, squeezing to the point where he almost couldn't breathe, while… while being lifted up into the air as if he weighed nothing?

"Oh, come now, Chris." The blond haired man taunted, smirking a little as if holding him up there was easy. "Even your _sweet little sister_ put up more of a fight than _this_… hey, maybe you can help me decide something: Should I just tell you every graphic, intimate detail about using her as I wanted… or is it better to leave such things to your imagination? Do you want to hear the things she said when I held her down, or…

Wesker's words suddenly turned into an outcry of pain, since during his little speech he hadn't noticed Chris reaching down for the knife in his boot. With his air supply being cut off, the former STARS member didn't have time to really aim, so he swung the blade outward as hard as he could, causing a small spray of blood when it went right across the blond man's face, cutting his sunglasses in half in the process. Wesker didn't fall down or even drop Chris in reaction to this, though, simply squeezing his wrist with his free hand until the knife fell from the former STARS member's grip, and then looking up at him…

Okay, it was bad enough that the blond haired man had somehow gained super strength and speed in the months since his supposed death at the Spencer Estate, but now as he looked upward, the gash across his face was already closing up… and Wesker's eyes themselves were no longer the normal blue ones that he remembered. Instead, they had been replaced with red and yellow… _cat eyes_ that almost seemed to be glowing, and now the blond man smirked again just as his cut finished healing completely.

"You may have noticed a couple changes since we last met." Wesker said casually, squeezing harder on Chris's neck. "But what are a few aesthetics compared to all the power I've gained, hmm? Nothing, that's what… and that's what _you_ are… nothing. So, what can I do to make this little nothing suffer, huh? Let's take a moment and consider what would hurt you the most."


	37. Chapter 37 Making the Rounds

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Thirty Seven: Making the Rounds**

As soon as the transmission between Ashford Base and Rockfort Island was cut off, Alexia Ashford smiled to herself while leaning back in the chair in front of her desk. All the blonde woman had been trying to do was restore the base's communication system and check it by contacting the last place programmed into its signal memory… but she had been completely caught off guard when Chris Redfield had appeared in the center of the restored image in a crazy twist of fate.

From seeing into Claire's mind, she had known that the older Redfield was impressive… and this thought suddenly reminded her that it was time to make the rounds, beginning with the young woman. What she had told the former STARS member was true, his sister was really having a rough few days, so like any good doctor, Alexia had given her something to make her go to sleep. However, the young woman had been trying to resist, continually attempting to sneak back into the lab and free her boyfriend.

This time was no different, either; Claire having made it out into the hallway this time before succumbing to the drugs, but still trying to pull herself along, unsuccessfully, from where she was lying on the floor. So just like the last couple times, the blonde woman simply picked her uncooperative patient up off the floor, and carried the young woman back through the nearest door, back into the large guest room where she had first been put to bed. Of course, Claire struggled to get away, obsessed with the idea that Alexia was doing something evil to Steve, but backwoods peasants usually thought science was _voodoo magic_ or something, so the blonde woman would be patient until she could teach her otherwise.

"You need to stay in bed until you finish healing, you naughty thing." She said, gently laying the young woman back onto her pillow. "Now be a good girl, and get some sleep, and I'll come back to check on you after I take care of your boyfriend."

Claire was mostly out of it; trying to talk but only managing a few slurred words while her partly open eyes rolled around in her head… poor thing had suffered a full blown panic attack after the blonde woman had flipped a coin to decide which of her test subjects were going to be set free while the others remained. The result of the coin toss was that Steve Burnside's experiment would continue, but then the young woman became absolutely hysterical for some reason after Alexia sent Alfred's soldiers outside… well, yes they were naked at the time, which was hilarious, but poor Claire had to be sedated.

"Don't… Alexia, please." The young woman managed to say, weakly grabbing onto the blonde woman's wrist when she got up. "Stop this… stop."

"Aw, my poor little _Claire-Bear_, everything's going to be fine, I promise." Alexia replied, kissing her hand before sitting on the edge of the bed with her. "If everything works out, your boyfriend will be _far_ superior to the sissy boy he is now… you _do_ understand that I only want what's best for you, right? You're not just my patient _or_ my servant… you're my friend, and I treasure you."

The recently increased dose of sedatives must have been slowly working, because the next time Claire tried to talk it was nothing but more slurred words, along with some coughing. So the blonde woman helped her sit up, before picking up a glass of water from the nearby nightstand, and bringing it up to the young woman's lips… and then kissing her on the forehead after setting the glass back down.

"Oh, I do have _some_ exciting news." Alexia continued, stroking Claire's hair while keeping her sitting up. "I just spoke to your brother, and get this, he went to Rockfort Island to find you, just like you said. You know, sometimes I forget that I can only see things from the subject's point of view when I use my powers, because he is so much more… as you Americans say, _he's a total hunk_."

Claire seemed to respond a little more when told that her brother was going to shortly be on his way to Ashford Base, and the blonde woman found herself smiling again when she remembered how Chris had first called her sweetheart while trying to get her attention. Wait, now Claire's eyes were swimming around in her head again, so Alexia gave her a hug, once again reassuring her that everything was going to be fine, before helping the young woman to lay down on her pillow… where she instantly started snoring.

"_Finally_… one would think you built up a tolerance to rufees in college." The blonde woman giggled, before leaning over and giving Claire a light kiss on the lips. "Now get some sleep, my little Claire-Bear… I'll take care of everything."

Making sure to be quiet while getting up and moving toward the hallway, Alexia carefully shut the door so that it barely made a sound, and then continued walking back the way she came. Passing through the main hall of her hidden mansion, and returning through the passage to the laboratory where Steve was still strapped down to that same table, the blonde woman continued to smile a little as she picked up the tape recorder, ready to update her notes on the status of this ongoing experiment.

"_Surprisingly enough, Subject Two seems to be responding well to the first T-Veronica injection_." She said after pushing the button. "_As with previous experiments, slight disorientation and profuse sweating are present… skin is cold and clammy to the touch in spite of the increased temperature of the laboratory itself, and eyes are bloodshot in a manner that resembles severe fatigue_."

"Get away from me!" Steve yelled, pulling desperately at his restraints. "Don't touch me! Help, somebody! Help me!"

The young man was sweating to the point where what was left of his orange jumpsuit was soaking wet, and his breathing sounded a bit labored, with an added scratchiness to his voice, as if Steve had a severe cold. He was also groaning every time he moved, but this was to be expected while the first dose of T-Veronica was spreading throughout his system, just like what had happened with Alexia's father during her early experiments. If all went well, though, the young man wouldn't end up like that… well, at least there was a decent chance he would retain _some_ of his humanity… maybe… with a little luck.

"_For the life of me, I can't see what Subject One finds appealing in Subject Two_." The blonde woman continued recording. "_In spite of surviving extreme hardships and facing down Umbrella BOW's, the subject continues to whine and cry to the point where I sometimes forget that he's male. Maybe I should have given Claire 'and' him a new dress… although I suppose it makes me appreciate real men like Chris Redfield that much more… why can't you be more like him, Steve?_"

In response the young man simply continued to scream for her to stay away from him, and then crying while pulling at the restraints again when Alexia took the next syringe of T-Veronica out of the freezer. In the time that it took to melt the encased liquid for injection, Steve had devolved into a sobbing, blubbering mess, and the whole spectacle only got more pathetic when the syringe's needle pierced his neck. On one hand, the blonde woman understood how much it burned, having injected ten liters of the virus into herself just before being frozen, but still… Jesus Christ, be a man.

"It burns!" The young man shrieked at the top of his lungs, arching his back while a drop of blood ran down from his eye. "Help me! Somebody please, help me! It hurts… it hurts, I… please, I don't wanna die! Please… please!"

"_Help me, please, I don't wanna die_." Alexia mocked in a high pitch version of his American accent while blood dripped from his ear. "_It hurts, it hurts_… what _hurts_, you little _cry-baby_, is that I'm giving you a precious gift of scientific advancement, and all you can do is whine like _Boy George_… no wonder Alfred liked you so much; you're even more girly than _he_ was."

Once she was finished mocking him a little bit more, the blonde woman picked up the tape recorder again to document the fact that blood was now dripping from the young man's eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. Most researchers would probably have assumed that the second dose of T-Veronica would have been less painful since the first one had already carved out new pathways through the body, but it was actually the opposite, with even more pain being felt now that there was nothing in the body to hold back the spreading of the virus.

Well, now that the second injection was complete, there was nothing else that could be done for the young man for more than twelve hours… Claire was gonna sleep for at least that long thanks to the dosage of sedatives she had been given, and… yeah, Alfred's soldiers had long ago frozen to death outside, so… oh yeah, she needed to get everything ready for when Chris got there. Technically, it had been fifteen years since the last time she had entertained a man, so everything needed to be perfect, and… was this going to make things awkward between herself and Claire?

"Oh, will you just shut up, already?" Alexia asked the next time Steve screamed in agony. "Yes, yes, you're in horrible pain, we know… okay, here, I know how to fix this."

Walking over to one of the cabinets above the sink, the blonde woman opened it and took out a roll of surgical tape. Using her fingernail to pull up the edge, Alexia walked over to the table and put the start of the tape on the young man's cheek, dragging it across his mouth, and then wrapping the roll all the way around his head until it came back around to the start. She repeated this process several times until Steve's mouth was completely covered with dozens of wraps, muffling the sound of his cries of agony so that she could finally think.

"All right, so what do I need before he arrives?" The blonde woman asked herself while Steve silently convulsed on the table. "I'll have to do my nails and pick out a nice dress, and I suppose I should cook something, and then…


	38. Chapter 38 Heading South

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Thirty Eight: Heading South**

Surprisingly, instead of just killing him right there when he had the chance, Wesker decided that a quick death would have been far too easy on Chris. So instead of continuing to thrash him around the tower, the blond haired man kept choking him until just before he would have passed out… and then tossed the former STARS member right through the closed glass doors. _Crash_! Pieces of glass rained down as he fell onto the pavement outside, rolling to a stop after bouncing a couple times, and then trying his best to scramble to his feet in order to…

_Whack_! Just as Chris was starting to get up, there was a flash of movement as the stock of a rifle was brought down across his face, causing the former STARS member to collapse back to the ground. There were several men standing around him now, _armed_ ones in black riot gear, all of whom had the letters HCF on the front of their tactical vests… and who were more than happy to kick him or strike him with their rifles each time he tried to move.

"Take this one alive." Wesker ordered as he walked out through the broken doors. "After all, he was good enough to provide us with the exact location of our target, so the least we can do is give him a lift."

The blond haired man snapped his fingers, causing the armed men to pounce, some holding Chris down while others twisted his wrists behind his back so that a pair of handcuffs could be snapped into place. Like piranhas swarming over a cow, within a few seconds everything had been taken out of the former STARS member's pockets, leaving him not only chained up at the mercy of his worst enemy, but also without… well, without anything that could have possibly helped him.

Now it seemed like the armed men were going out of their way to cause him pain, grabbing him by the handcuffs and forcing Chris to his feet, but then pulling his arms up so high behind him that the former STARS member was forced to walk in the most uncomfortably bent forward position he had ever been in. Standing like this, at first he didn't understand where Wesker's people were taking him, but then it became clear as the sound of airplane engines got closer, eventually leading him to step up onto the cargo ramp of one of the planes.

"Today is a great day, Chris." The blond haired man said, sitting in a seat facing him after the armed men forced Chris down. "Now not _only_ do I get to apprehend Alexia Ashford, but now I'm going to have _both_ Redfields at my disposal. I'll be honest, I considered chucking your ass out the back at fifty thousand feet, but then I realized that if I did… well, then you wouldn't get to watch what I do to your pretty little sister."

There was a guard sitting on each side of him, but there was no way Chris was going to let this monster get a hold of Claire… or Alexia, for that matter. So he waited until one of them took off his helmet, and then slammed his forehead into the man's nose as hard as he could. Twisting his body around before the other one could react, the former STARS member kicked the other one in the face with both feet, before jumping up and making an effort to tackle Wesker… only to have it stopped when the blond haired man grabbed Chris's nose between his two fingers.

"Really, Chris… what did you think you were going to do?" Wesker laughed, slowly moving the now screaming Chris back into his seat. "I recall beating you _and _your two girlfriends senseless in a fair fight back at the Spencer Estate… and that was _before_ I got my powers."

Letting go of his nose and then smacking him in the mouth in a single movement, the blond haired man leaned back in his seat and shrugged as if waiting to see what his former comrade was going to do next, but this was interrupted when the plane's engines suddenly revved up. In the brief struggle with Wesker and his guards, Chris hadn't noticed that the cargo ramp had closed, and a few moments later the plane started rolling its way down the runway. With the coordinates given to the pilot before takeoff, they had soon leveled off, with a course set that was taking them south.

"What's this all about, Wesker?" The former STARS member asked, his nose still throbbing from that grip. "Why do you want Alexia so badly?"

"Because she's Umbrella's top researcher, of course." The blond man replied, looking at the pieces of his broken sunglasses and then discarding them. "You might not be aware of this, mostly because you're an idiot, but ever since Raccoon City, the company isn't doing so well. Stocks are falling, secure facilities are being raided, and my employers want me to seize any significant assets… including your new girlfriend. I must say, though… she looks _very_ young for a woman who vanished in 1983."

1983, Chris thought… no, that wasn't possible, since the Alexia he had spoken to didn't look any older than Jill Valentine… but then again, there were all those 80's references she kept making… so, what did it mean? As far as Wesker was concerned, it meant there was yet another loved one that he could slowly torture to death in front of Chris… _after_ she turned over all her research, that is. The blond man's eyes flashed red while he smirked, leaning back in the seat as if he knew that everything was just going to fall into his lap, and there wasn't a damn thing the former STARS member could do about it… at least not alone.

"You know, I used to work for this guy, too." He said to the guards, looking each of them in the eye. "My team followed him into a place full of zombies and monsters, kind of like that island back there, but on a smaller scale… and then he started killing us as soon as we weren't convenient anymore."

It actually went a lot farther than that; STARS Bravo Team had been sent in first to investigate a possible source of The Cannibal Murders, but that was just a cover because Umbrella wanted to see how its BOW's held up against a police special forces unit. Unprepared and ill-equipped for the horrors that awaited them, Bravo Team was picked off one by one, until even the team Captain was shot by Wesker to keep him from revealing the truth… leaving only a _single _survivor of the team.

Alpha Team didn't do much better, being sent in to find their comrades, and then just barely escaping with their lives… but not unscathed. During all of this, Wesker had killed some of them directly, and even threatened Barry Burton's children to make him help out Umbrella's cause… and the blond man hadn't been exaggerating in the claim that he had beaten the hell out of Chris back then, as well as Rebecca Chambers _and_ Jill Valentine before being stopped by Barry.

"I already don't _need_ these men, Chris." Wesker replied, sitting forward. "Thanks to the virus that allowed me to survive that… _incident _with the Tyrant creature, I have the power to accomplish this mission all on my own, they simply… make things a little _easier_ for me. But don't worry, because I'll be handling Claire _and_ Alexia all on my own. You two… make him kiss my feet."

That last part caught the former STARS member off guard, and so did when one of the armed men rammed the stock of his rifle into his groin, causing him to _yelp_ while doubling forward. Now one of them grabbed Chris by the hair while the other kicked him in the stomach, together being able to rub his face all over their leader's boots before roughly shoving him back into the seat. Overly amused by this, Wesker started laughing, saying that he wasn't the _only_ member of the RPD who would have _loved_ to get their hands on cute little Claire Redfield.

"You're gonna pay for this, Wesker." Chris replied, wishing he could get his hands around this traitor's throat for just one minute. "You, Umbrella, and all your goons are gonna pay _long_, and you're gonna pay _hard_ for every single life that…

Snapping his fingers, the blond haired man interrupted this speech when one of the guards struck the former STARS member with his rifle again, this time ramming it into the side of his head. Kicking his legs out from under him while pushing Chris to the floor of the airplane, Wesker watched while the two of them kicked and stomped his former comrade more than a dozen times, hitting him in the ribs and in the back of the head to the point where he couldn't even move enough to try getting out of the way.

"The _sad_ part is that it didn't have to be like this." The blond haired man said, the guards leaving him lying on the floor. "If you people hadn't stuck your nose in my business, I could have sold Tyrant and lived the rest of my days as a _very_ rich man."

"Yeah, me Jill and Barry should have just rolled over and died, right?" Chris coughed, groaning from the beating he just took. "Well, I'm sorry we screwed up your retirement plans, _Captain_, but you're a sick fuck, and you should have stayed dead."

Wesker shrugged for a second, nodding his head as if he understood where this point of view came from, only to reach down and grab the former STARS member by the shoulders and then toss him upward so far that he slammed into the plane's ceiling. The two guards had to jump out of the way to avoid being landed on when Chris came crashing back down onto the seats, before bouncing back down to the floor, and this time the blond haired man kept him in place by slowly pressing his foot onto the side of his former comrade's head.

"I know you're in a hurry to die, Chris." Wesker said, pressing down a little harder until Chris cried out. "But for now, why don't you just enjoy the flight?"


	39. Chapter 39 Horror in the Snow

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Thirty Nine: Horror in the Snow**

As the hours passed during the long flight, Chris could see from where he was on the floor, that the amount of light coming in through the cargo plane's small windows was starting to decrease. In all that time the aircraft hadn't been felt turning, either, meaning that they were still headed south, and now the air was starting to get colder as the light coming in turned orange with the setting sun. Being that it was December, the former STARS member had been able to see his own breath on Rockfort Island, but now he was shivering.

Wait a second, that didn't make any sense because when it was winter time in the Earth's northern hemisphere, everything below the equator was experiencing summer time, unless… well, there was _one_ place that was always cold that far south, but why would Alexia have given him coordinates for Antarctica? Even without being told for sure, as the temperature got lower to the point where frost formed on the plane's windows, their destination became obvious… and then they started down.

There must have been a snowstorm going on outside with fierce winds, since the plane was rocking and shaking a lot more than it should have been during a descent, but then again Chris had never tried to land a plane in Antarctica before, so this was going to be a new experience for everyone. In a cargo plane like this one the wheels were always down, so there was no need for a landing gear, and… and man, the landing strip must have been at least partially frozen, since he could feel the aircraft rotating around a bit instead of just rolling straight after touch down, and they continued to slide even after the brakes and reverse engines were applied.

"Break out the winter gear; so sorry, Chris, we didn't bring enough for you." Wesker ordered, finally lifting his foot off Chris's head. "And it's getting dark, so double check your radios and night-vision."

The blond haired man and his subordinates seemed to completely forget about their prisoner, just leaving him on the floor while they opened up the crate full of winter survival clothing and masks. Once equipped as best as they could, the cargo ramp was lowered, allowing the snow-filled wind to rush inside, where it quickly snuffed out what little warmth remained from the flight. God damn, it was cold, Chris thought as the wind blew right through his clothes, but somehow Wesker was unaffected; standing on the edge of the cargo ramp without any winter gear on, and not even shivering.

"This facility is much larger than expected." The blond haired man called over the wind. "Our priority is to find Alexia, but try to take anyone else you find alive if possible."

As much as he didn't want to, Wesker informed his men that they were going to have to break up into teams in order to check every building in this place. Constant radio contact was to be maintained, and he was going to cover one of the larger buildings himself, while the others broke up into teams of four. All except the last man, that is, whose job it was to keep Chris under control. I mean, honestly there wasn't anywhere the former STARS member could run to even if he _did_ escape, but the blond haired man _did_ say that if his guard got bored, he could make the prisoner crawl around in the snow for a while… and with that Wesker was gone.

Becoming a blur again like he had done on the island, the blond haired man took off like a shot across the snow, and soon after the armed men started to follow, albeit as a much slower pace. Soon it was just Chris and the one guard left in the plane, but instead of making him crawl around in the snow, the armed man walked over to the door controls and pushed the button to close the cargo ramp. What that guard didn't know was that the whole time they had been prepping for winter, the former STARS member had picked up the frame of Wesker's metal sunglasses.

Working the padding off the arm, and then inserting the thin rod into the key of his handcuffs, Chris stealthily worked it around until one of his hands was free... and the guard closing the ramp was just the opportunity needed to make an escape. Thanks to the wind and the raising ramp, everything was so loud that he didn't even have to sneak while getting up and moving toward his captor… while picking up a heavy breaker bar that had been used to pry the straps off the cargo crate.

_Whack! Whack! Whack!_ First bringing the bar down hard into the side of the guard's leg, causing him to cry out while falling forward onto the closed ramp, Chris didn't let up, striking the man again and again on the back and on the right shoulder to stop him from reaching for his weapon… at least before the former STARS member could. With the guard disoriented, it was easy to grab the pistol and handcuff keys from his vest, freeing his other hand and then aiming the pistol before his captor could do anything about it.

"Don't move, or I'll blow your brains out!" Chris yelled, more than happy to kill one of the people threatening his sister. "Now give me your clothes… I said fucking _strip_, asshole!"

_Bang_! Firing a shot next to him so that he would get the point, the guard quickly started removing his winter gear and tossing it over to the former STARS member, who gave him the handcuffs in return. Instructing the no longer armed man to cuff himself to a support bar, Chris now had the chance to put on some of the warmer clothing, or at least the coat and hat so he wouldn't be too encumbered for the escape ahead. Once ready, he pushed the button to lower the cargo ramp again, and this time it was the guard who screamed since he was unable to get away from the freezing winds.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna let you freeze." Chris said, pushing the close button while stepping onto the ramp. "But when your boss finds out you let me get away, you might _wish_ I had."

Jumping down onto the snow covered runway just as the cargo ramp started to close, the former STARS member realized that not only was the wind still cutting through his extra clothing, but also that from this point on he didn't have any idea where Claire and Alexia were, either. Like Wesker said, there were several buildings around that made up whatever kind of facility this place was, but only a few of them had visible lights on, so he picked one that didn't have footprints leading toward it, and started moving.

The sun seemed to be setting more quickly now, allowing the temperature to drop rapidly while the winds picked up to the point where he had to shield his eyes. Hopefully, there would be heat going inside the buildings as well as power, but then these hopes were forgotten when the former STARS member tripped over something. Falling face first onto the snowy pavement, there was still enough light from the setting sun for him to see what he had tripped over, causing him to gasp… when he saw that it was a human arm.

Not just an arm, but an entire body attached to it… and the man was _naked_? Yes, there was a dead naked man lying there in the snow, face down with arm outstretched as if he had been trying to take shelter from the elements before succumbing… and he wasn't alone. There were half a dozen of them scattered around, each naked and looking like they had been fighting to stay alive… so what, had they been somehow _forced_ to go outside like that? The bodies looked fresh, but perpetual winter could have kept them that way for years.

There was a building nearby, but with their tracks already filled in with snow, and all of them having fallen in different directions, it was impossible to tell if they were trying to get there or run away. Whatever the case was, the door to the nearby building was unlocked when he tried it, so Chris pushed its rusting metal hinges open, and _yes_, there was heat going like he hoped. Taking his time in actually entering, the former STARS member kept his pistol ready while scanning the dimly lit interior… until a sound reached his ears.

Someone was groaning like they were hurt, and at first he thought they were inside the building, but no… it was coming from behind him. That was strange because in order to hear something like that over the wind, the person making the sound would have had to be really close. Turning around, and then jumping backwards to avoid getting grabbed by the figure standing there, the former STARS member slipped on some of the melting snow and fell on his back.

Now scooting backwards across the concrete floor, Chris saw that it was one of the naked men from outside, and where he had originally thought that they had been pale from exposure, he could now see that this one's skin was discolored. Not only that, but his eyes were glazed over, and he was drooling while slowly shambling his way through the door… it was in infected _zombie_… just like back at the Spencer Estate… oh God, there had been an outbreak _here _too.

_Bang! Bang!_ Taking out his pistol and firing, the entryway was briefly lit up with flashes of light while the bullets struck their target. This zombie's skin must have been mostly frozen, because large pieces of it shattered upon impact, leaving only exposed muscle in a large area when the monster was hit in the neck and forehead. The second shot to the head caused it to collapse, allowing Chris to breathe a sigh of relief since the attack was over… at least, until he looked up and saw that the other naked men outside were also starting to get up.

Oh hell, some of them were already shambling their way toward the door, so the former STARS member scrambled up to his hands and knees, crawling over the zombie he had just defeated, and then pushing the door shut just before the first of the naked men were able to reach it. Using his back to keep it shut while turning the latch to lock it, Chris breathed heavily while the infected outside could be heard scratching and groaning at the door… great… as if dealing with Wesker and his goons in the middle of freezing Antarctica wasn't bad enough.


	40. Chapter 40 Wesker's Demands

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Forty: Wesker's Demands**

After encountering those frozen zombies at the entrance to the building, Chris was expecting them to be everywhere like they had been back at the Spencer Estate, but actually the ones outside were the only ones he had seen so far. Moving into the building, and then down into what looked like an old factory of some kind, the former STARS member could see signs of recent work being done on the power systems, but for all of the tools laying around and access panels left open, there was absolutely no one in sight.

During the transmission back on Rockfort Island, Alexia had been working on fixing the communications system in what Chris assumed was this place, so had she been the one who was trying to get this place back up and running? The former STARS member felt bad for the poor girl if she had been all alone down there for… however long it was, and this was starting to seem likely after he checked out an empty office where there were signs of someone being there recently, and the soft scent of… perfume?

Yeah, over near the Forman's desk he could faintly smell the kind of perfume that a woman would have worn, and Claire was never the type for perfume or makeup, so it had to be Alexia. Legendary Umbrella scientist or not, Chris wasn't about to leave a defenseless woman in this place for Wesker to find, so he left the office and started looking around for another door. If the blonde woman had been there recently then she had to go somewhere, and then Alexia could lead him right to Claire.

The first thing the former STARS member found was an elevator, but instead of using it he decided that it was best to clear this place one floor at a time, again taking from his experiences at the Spencer Estate. It took some searching, but eventually he discovered another door that was almost hidden behind some of the larger machines at the far end, and this one opened up into a long narrow hallway. His footsteps echoed quietly off the concrete floor, but it didn't seem like anyone was around to hear them, but then something finally came into view… a side door that looked like it led into some kind of old fashioned doctor's office.

Putting his ear up against the door before even touching the knob, Chris could hear the sound of someone moving around in there, so he carefully turned the knob, which was unlocked, but then the sound stopped almost instantly when the door's hinges started to squeak. Well, he was right; this place was either an old fashioned doctor's office or a research laboratory. Laboratory was more likely, since there were rows of monitoring equipment along the walls, along with beds where patients could be restrained… except the beds were empty, and there was no sign of anyone being in there.

No, he _must_ have heard someone, the former STARS member thought while scanning the room with his eyes, and he was just starting to move further into the room to investigate… when something else reached his ears… coming from back out in the hallway. Abandoning his search of the laboratory, and closing the door behind him as he left, Chris had to stop for a second when he realized what the new sound was, although it made no sense at first.

The new sound was _music_… from down the hall opposite of the way he had come in, as he followed it, the tune became clearer until it could be identified as that old, slow kind of synthesized music that was popular when he was a little kid. Yeah, it was one of those really slow love ballads, and it was coming through the door up ahead. There was no point in listening at the door, since all he could hear was that music, which became a lot clearer when he carefully opened the door to find… the _Spencer Estate_?!

No, that was impossible… this place just looked exactly like the main hall of the mansion, down to the last detail of decorum. The lighting was slightly dimmed, and besides the romantic 80's music he could hear someone walking around on what sounded like high-heels, so the former STARS member crept into the main hall, not making a sound while sneaking up to one of the large support columns for the second floor walkway, hiding behind it so that he could see… Alexia?

"Of course it just _had_ to be the _dining room_ that collapsed." She grumbled to herself while walking across the floor. "But its fine, in any party it is the hostess that is important, not the setting, so we'll just have to make due."

The music was coming from an old _Hi-Fi Record Player_ sitting on a nearby cabinet, and the blonde woman had set a small round table with two chairs near the bottom of the stairs. It was covered with a fancy looking tablecloth, and there was a bottle of wine sitting on top with two glasses, and… two plates of food that smelled _really_ good. Had Alexia set all this up for _him_? If she had been able to calculate his exact time of arrival, then she was even smarter than Wesker thought, and… she was absolutely beautiful.

"Okay, he missed the jet estimate, meaning that he took a cargo plane for some reason." She continued to herself as she started walking up the stairs. "If he flew straight here, landing should have been made about twenty minutes ago, so I have just enough time to get the napkin rings before…

Alexia was obviously expecting him, so Chris was just about to reveal himself, when he was stopped by the startling sound of another door being kicked open. The blonde woman gasped a little as she turned toward a larger set of double doors opposite of the stairs, starting to smile for a second upon hearing a set of approaching footsteps… but then this smile faded when it was Albert Wesker who walked into the room.

"Well, well, if it isn't the lovely Dr. Alexia Ashford, herself." The blond man chuckled, taking a moment to look at how the room was set up. "Now isn't _this_ all cozy and romantic… you didn't go through all this trouble for little old _me_, did you?"

"Ugh… gag me with a _spoon_." Alexia scoffed, folding her arms. "If you _must_ know, I have a date tonight; now I don't know who or… _what_ exactly you are, but I'm sure you can see yourself out… thanks."

In response to this, Wesker simply laughed a little bit louder this time, before making the blonde woman jump a little when he reached the table… picking up one of the chairs in one hand and tossing it at the record player, causing the romantic music to stop. Next he grabbed the end of the table and upended it hard enough to send the whole thing flying across the room in the other direction, causing plates and food to go flying everywhere just before the bottle of wine shattered against the column that Chris was hiding behind.

"The only _date_ you have, my dear, is with my employers." The blond man continued, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. "That being said… you're going to be a good girl and surrender yourself into my custody, but not before you turn over all research data and active samples of the T-Veronica virus you created… now."

"I cannot… believe this." Alexia replied, smirking at him. "For fifteen years I was frozen in this place, completely undisturbed the whole time… but then one day I decide I want to impress a man I like, and suddenly my home is invaded by… Billy Idol's… unattractive stepbrother, or whoever you are. Now kindly remove yourself from my…

Suddenly Wesker became a blur as he rushed forward, climbing up to where she was on the stairs, and punching the blonde woman in the stomach hard enough to send her stumbling backwards all the way to the top of the stairs, where she coughed while falling to one knee. Okay, that was it, Chris thought as he readied his pistol, no matter how strong his former comrade had become, he wasn't going to let him hurt a defenseless… hey, wait a second…

Instead of collapsing from the power of the blond man's blow like Chris had done back on the island, Alexia was not only able to stand back up after only a couple seconds, but now… now she was laughing. Throwing her head back and letting it loose as if she were some kind of comic book supervillain, she took a moment to remove her high-heel shoes before her mood suddenly became completely serious.

"You want T-Veronica, you… you ridiculous prostitute?" She asked, pointing down the stairs at him. "Well, I say… I say that you are not worthy of its _power_!"

Again, Wesker became a blur as he rushed toward her, but this time he was the one who was forced to stumble backwards when Alexia's whole body suddenly burst into flames. The blond man had to shield his face from the waves of heat even when he was halfway back down the stairs… and then he was forced to continue backing away when the blonde woman started slowly walking down the stairs toward him.

Her dress had been completely incinerated, but instead of burning up herself, Alexia's skin was turning a strange greenish color while some kind of hardened growths formed over parts of her body like… armor, maybe? Taking the stairs one step at a time, this strange transformation continued as every vein in her body became visible as if an almost black substance was spreading throughout her circulatory system, and now even her long blonde hair was changing, becoming a mass that resembled a mixture between plant growth and tentacles… leaving both Wesker and Chris visibly shocked by the whole spectacle.

No longer was the former STARS member concerned for Alexia's safety, since clearly she could take care of herself, but… but oh my God, this was the woman who had been taking care of Claire since she had escaped from Rockfort Island. Suddenly Wesker seemed to regain his composure, rushing forward in an attempt to subdue her… only to get the surprise of his life when she swung her arm, causing him to do a backflip when the back of her hand caught him in the face, resulting with him falling on his rear on the floor.

"Okay, Alexia." The blond man said as he got up. "You're coming with me, even if it's a _corpse _I have to carry back to headquarters."


	41. Chapter 41 Where is Steve?

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Forty One: Where is Steve?**

The funny thing about being sedated was that the affected person had no concept of time while under the influence of the drug, leaving Claire with no idea of how long she had actually slept for. There were flashes of memory, including her failed attempts to stay awake long enough to rescue Steve from the lab, and the young woman wasn't sure, but she thought she remembered Alexia saying something about her brother being a hunk… but that might have just been part of her being out of it.

Regardless, she was awake now, although a little groggy from the sedative's lingering effects. Oh well, at least her clothes were hanging up in the guest room's closet where she could get to them easily, even if a dress and heels weren't her ideal choice. I mean, Jesus, hadn't the blonde woman ever heard of jeans? No time to be picky, Claire thought as she pulled herself out of the bed to a standing position, Steve was still in danger and she was going to rescue him no matter how many times she had to try.

All of the other times the young woman had tried to get back to the laboratory, Alexia had always been right there to stop her, but this time was different since the blonde woman was nowhere to be found. Not wanting to lose the chance, Claire started toward the door, only getting a couple steps before losing her patience with those ridiculous high heels, and kicking them off before leaving the room barefoot. A quick look down the hallway, and she was off, trying her best to remember the way back to the lab, and then… hearing music?

The only way to get from the guest room to where Steve was being held was to pass through the mansion's main hall, and that was where the music seemed to be coming from, so the young woman slowed way down before pushing the door open, and finding herself on the second floor walkway above where Alexia was… setting up a table? After switching records on an old _Hi-Fi_, Alexia moved a couple chairs into the center of the room just in front of the stairs, before just kind of standing there for a few seconds as if thinking about something.

Snapping her fingers, the blonde woman suddenly rushed out of the room through another side door, with the slow romantic 80's music from the record masking Claire's footsteps as she rushed down to the first floor. With just enough time to hide herself behind one of the support columns before Alexia came back, the young woman was able to see that she had brought a small round table with her, setting it up in between the chairs as if getting ready for some kind of meeting with someone.

Honestly, Claire didn't really give a damn what all this was being set up for, and all she needed was for the blonde woman to leave the main hall one more time so that she could get into the narrow corridor. It took several minutes of watching Alexia pace back and forth around the room dimming lights and adjusting things, before she finally had to leave again, and with that the young woman was finally able to get moving again. With the music still going, there was no need to sneak, so Claire ran as fast as she could down the hallway, and into the laboratory where Steve was… not there.

Everything else about the laboratory was the same; the machines and tables were still where they had been, only the young man's restraints had been released, and… where had he gone? Starting to panic, Claire called out for him, hoping that maybe he had also tried to escape and was nearby, but there was no response, so… where had he gone? Helplessly pacing around the room for a couple minutes, the young woman had no idea where to start looking for him, since this facility was massive, and Alexia could have taken him anywhere, so how was she supposed to find him?

There were no surveillance cameras around, at least none that had worked since the late 70's, and it wasn't like the blonde woman was going to just _tell_ her where the young man had been taken. If asked, Alexia was just going to put the young woman to bed again, talking down to her, and then making for herself in that stupid tape recorder of hers… holy shit, the _tape recorder_! Like it had always been, the blonde woman's old recording device was sitting on the nearby cabinet, so Claire pressed _rewind _for a couple seconds in order to hear the last entry.

"_Continues to cry like a raped prom date_." Alexia's voice said while muffled cries could be heard in the background. "_God damn it, the T-Veronica Virus is supposed to make you stronger, so be a man and act tough, you… you pansy! Ugh… anyway, Subject Two continues to be an embarrassment to the male gender, and everything must be perfect for tonight, so I'll be relocating him to my father's old isolation cell for the remainder of his treatment… still a long time before the third injection… it will have to wait_."

Well, that was the end of the recording, but thankfully it contained everything the young woman needed to know, and now all she had to do was get back to that elevator in the factory. However, just as Claire was starting to move toward the door, the knob turned, prompting her to duck down behind one of the beds just as the door was heard opening. Hugging her knees to her chest and holding her breath, the young woman knew that she would never get to save Steve if Alexia found her now… but then the footsteps retreated, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief just as the door was being closed.

Rushing over to the door as soon as she could, Claire listened with her ear up against it as the footsteps moved back toward the mansion, but it was strange because the blonde woman's heels sounded different… no matter, this was her chance. As soon as she could no longer hear the steps, the young woman left the laboratory as quietly as she could, and then continuing on her way toward the factory without looking back for fear that Alexia would somehow see her if she did.

Each time she got a little bit farther, it felt more and more like she was going to be caught, sort of like in those dreams where she was trying to run away from something, but could only go in slow motion while it got closer and closer. God, it felt like _hours_ had passed before she reached the factory, and even longer before the elevator doors opened. The last time Claire had gotten into this car, she had been less than an hour away from death while Sir Alfred was getting ready to feed Steve to that blindfolded monster, and now there she was again, watching the doors close before descending back down into the depths, this time to save him.

As before, the trip down the elevator shaft was a long one, making the young woman wonder just exactly how deep the lowest levels of this place were. Had the whole facility been constructed by the Ashford family specifically for Umbrella's experiments, or was it there before, like a repurposed listening post from the Cold War? Whatever the case, the elevator doors finally opened once the car came to a stop, allowing Claire to make her way back down the dimly lit hallway to where that monster's holding cell was, only to find that the other door which was sealed before was open now.

This must have been where Alexia was frozen for all that time, she thought, taking a quick peek through the door, since the machines were all active, and an empty transparent tank was at the center… while the abandoned body of Sir Alfred was lying face down in front of it with his arm stretched out toward what ever had been inside. Gritting her teeth, the young woman realized that she and Steve could have escaped if the Commander had just died a few seconds earlier, but then she closed the door and pushed open the other one.

"Steve?" Claire called out while peeking inside. "Oh, my God, Steve!"

Unlike before when the cell had been pitch dark, Alexia must have fixed them since everything was brightly lit now, allowing the young woman to see that her friend was in there. Just like the blindfolded monster had been, the young man was in a strait jacket, sitting on a bench with his wrists and ankles chained to the wall, but there was another unique addition to the restraints, and that was the strange sight of a very large double-bladed battle axe buried into the concrete wall so that its handle was pinning him there across his chest.

Steve was breathing shallowly, and he appeared to be asleep, so Claire was about to wake him up when she stopped upon seeing one last addition to this nightmarish setup. There was an envelope sitting on the young man's lap, and on it was written the word _Claire-Bear_ with the dot above the letter I shaped like a heart. Wait a second, if Alexia didn't expect her to get that far, then why would she have left… it didn't matter, but the young woman was so overcome by her own curiosity that she couldn't help opening it. Inside was a handwritten letter, and it read:

_Good morning, sweetheart, I hope you feel better after your nap._

_I figured you would find your way down here eventually; you know it's actually pretty impressive how your cunning and ingenuity makes up for your complete lack of a formal education, but anyway, Claire-Bear, I suspect I'll be occupied for most of the night, so I need your assistance. Against the wall behind your boyfriend's feet, you will find a syringe containing his third dose of T-Veronica, which I need you do administer to him in the neck as soon as you're finished reading this letter._

_This is exciting, isn't it? Your very first involvement in a scientific experiment, and I'm so sorry I can't be there to share the moment with you. Just do your best to record what happens on my tape recorder in the lab you were just in; it's going to be so cute hearing you try to make your first observations, and I truly look forward to teaching you everything I know about experimentation over the years we spend together… or at least as much as your mind can comprehend._

_But Claire-Bear, I need you to understand something very important, so I'll write it bold for you to understand. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DISTURB STEVE'S TREATMENT IN ANY WAY. He must receive the rest of his doses on time, and if he is unconscious when you find him, he must remain that way. Any deviation from this could produce disastrous results, and possibly put both of your lives in danger. I know it's a lot to put on your shoulders, but I need to start giving you responsibilities if you are going to be my assistant from now on._

_I know you'll make the right choice, sweetheart. Hugs and kisses. Alexia._

So Alexia did expect her to get down there after all, and… holy shit, there really _was_ a syringe down there against the wall when Claire looked. In spite of how badly the letter talked down to her, the young woman was suddenly worrying that the blonde woman's warnings could be genuine, but she couldn't just leave the young man sitting there like that. From what she knew about Umbrella, _any_ experimentation with viruses was bad, but what if she somehow made things worse? What… what was she going to do?


	42. Chapter 42 Family Resemblance

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Forty Two: Family Resemblance**

As soon as he had finished talking, Wesker attacked, assaulting the mutated woman with a flurry of punches to the head and torso, driving Alexia back a few steps before the blond haired man was stopped when he received a kick to the stomach. Lifted off his feet and sliding backwards across the tile on his stomach, Wesker was getting to his hands and knees when the mutated woman snapped her fingers, making him have to jump and roll off to the side to avoid the flames that combusted from nowhere.

Rolling to his feet and then shaking off the fire that had caught on his arm, the blond haired man leapt forward to avoid the next fire her finger snapping created, and then became a blur as he ran… right past her? Moving incredibly fast, Wesker ran right toward the corner of the room, where he jumped up, kicked off both sections of the wall so that he was now flying back toward the mutated woman, and finally punching her right in the face just as she was turning around to face him.

_Whack_! Alexia stumbled sideways and fell against the stairs while the blond haired man rolled across the floor, but he wasn't done yet. Not wanting to give the mutated woman the chance to recover, Wesker ran toward her to continue the assault… only to be stopped in his tracks when she grabbed him by the throat. He tried to break her grip, but was unable to stop her from lifting him up and slamming him back down onto the tile floor hard enough to crack it… and then she did this again… and again… and again.

"Is _this_ what you think power is?" The mutated woman asked in a considerably deeper voice. "A half-ass virus your _secondary school teacher _came up with, allowing you to _flop_ around like an _epileptic_ playing _hop-scotch_? How _dare_ you invade _my _home and challenge _me _when your powers are so _weak_?"

Instead of slamming him down again after picking him up, Alexia swung him around and pinned Wesker up against the other side of the same column that Chris was hiding behind. Even though she was a horrific monster like all the others, the former STARS member was enjoying someone finally putting the blond haired man in his place, particularly when slugged him in the face with her free hand when he tried to punch her again. Yeah, once again Wesker's plans were going down the toilet, and that was great, but… what was Chris going to do once she was finished with him?

"Normally I would just terminate a failure like you." The mutated woman continued, making him cough when she punched him in the stomach. "But it took me _four hours_ to make that pot-roast you ruined when you broke my table… so I'm going to strap you to a different kind of table and remove your blood a single syringe at a time… but first you're going to burn."

Snapping her fingers again, the entire support column was engulfed in flames, but at the last second the blond haired man had managed to slip out of his shirt, allowing him to drop down to the floor and leap out of the way just before getting burned. Since he was also using the same column for cover, Chris was forced to dive out of the way as well, rolling to safety across the floor… and then finding the eyes of _both_ creatures falling on him.

"Chris?" The mutated woman asked, the fire fading from her hand. "You… came."

Using the distraction to his advantage, Wesker must have realized that he couldn't win here, because he ran for the door that Chris used to come in. Gasping when she saw his escape attempt, Alexia growled while snapping her fingers again, causing the former STARS member to have to dive for safety once again, but it was too late. With his enhanced speed, the blond haired man was able to pass through the door just before the wall above it exploded with fire… so much fire that the passageway was collapsed.

The smoke cleared surprisingly fast, allowing Chris to see that with all that concrete rubble there was no way for Alexia to go after Wesker… but then it dawned on him that there was no immediate way for _himself_ to get away from her either. Now that the battle was over, the former STARS member slowly got to his feet, his mouth running a little dry while tightening the grip on his pistol while he turned to face the mutated woman… who was just standing there?

No wait, something was happening to her… the flames all around the room were dying out, and the green color of her skin was fading back into what it was before. It took almost a whole minute, but gradually Alexia's armor and discoloring all vanished, with even her hair fading back into flowing blonde strands, and just like that the blonde woman was human again… human… and now just standing there naked as the day she was born. Now, the gentlemanly thing to do would have been to immediately look away, but no, Chris just stood there staring stupidly until she started walking off in another direction.

"This was all going to be so perfect, too." Alexia said, opening a small cabinet built into the back of the stairs. "That bottle of wine was two hundred years old… _two hundred_… God damn unwashed… Billy Idol-looking… cretan."

Taking a purple robe out of the cabinet, and putting it on, the blonde woman continued to grumble about the mess Wesker made while she pulled her hair back, arranging it into a kind of loose ponytail before tying the robe closed. Adding a pair of slippers to complete the look, Alexia sighed with frustration before forcing a smile and walking back over toward her guest… only to raise an eyebrow when she saw that Chris was now pointing his pistol at her.

"Jesus… what the _hell_ are you?!" The former STARS member exclaimed a little louder than intended. "What have you done with my sister?!"

"Oh goodness, I _see_ it now… the family resemblance." The blonde woman said, smiling a bit. "You know, you do the same adorable thing with your nose that my Claire-Bear does when _she's_ scared… but does that mean you plan on _fighting_ me like she did, too? You know, your sister shot me with something _a lot_ bigger than that… _pea-shooter_ you're holding, but go ahead if you must."

Unlike all of the other mutated monsters that he had seen, which granted wasn't that much compared to some of the reports he had gotten from Raccoon City, Alexia didn't seem like a mindless monster at all, in fact if Chris hadn't seen her transformation with his own eyes, he would have never thought she was anything but a human. Still, the fact was that she wasn't human, and she was holding Claire captive, so the former STARS member aimed down at her leg before pulling the trigger.

_Bang_! The wind from the bullet moved her robe a little as it slammed into her leg just above the knee, but the blonde woman didn't fall down, nor did she cry out in pain or even twitch a little in reaction. Instead she sited another thing he and his sister had in common, and that was the surprised look on their faces when they realized that no bullets of _any_ kind were going to cut it. Giggling a bit to herself, Alexia snapped her fingers again, causing Chris to gasp and drop his pistol when the weapon burst into flames to the point where it was red-hot by the time it hit the floor.

"Let Claire go, Alexia!" Trying to hide the fear in his voice as the weapon sizzled. "Tell me where my sister is, right now!"

"Ah, and here are the _Redfield Stages of Negotiation_." The blonde woman chuckled as she walked closer. "First there's _demanding_… and then there's _begging_… but if you were a _real man_, you would simply come over here and _make_ me do what you want. So what will it be, handsome? Are you man enough to put me in my place?"

This was like one of those nightmares where there's an exam at school, and Chris forgot to study, because honestly this woman, or… whatever she was could have killed him at any moment, and after seeing what she did to Wesker, it… it was pretty obvious that there was nothing he could do about it. So what was he supposed to do? Run for it? No, Alexia could just snap her fingers and incinerate him before he got ten steps, and now she was just standing there a short distance away… waiting to see what he was going to do. So he did what sounded like the worst idea.

"Alexia… I want my sister back." The former STARS member said, his voice shaking a little as he slowly walked up to her. "So you can either tell me where Claire is, or… or I will find a way to kill you."

"You are… _so_ attractive right now." The blonde woman replied, looking him over again. "Standing up to me even though you don't have a chance… a _real_ man… so I'm going to give you the same chance I gave your sister, although… the rules of this little game will be slightly different."

Briefly mentioning how Claire had been given the chance to kill her with all kind of weaponry in order to save a friend, in this contest all Chris had to do was knock Alexia down with his bare hands. She promised not to use any of her powers, only the fighting skills she had possessed before being frozen, and if he could do this, then the blonde woman would not only return his sister, but she would also surrender herself to whatever organization he was working for.

"And what if I can't?" The former STARS member asked. "What happens if you win without your powers?"

"Oh nothing, really, just the same thing that happened to Claire." The blonde woman said, smiling again. "And then I'll have _two_ Redfields to do with as I please… forever."


	43. Chapter 43 Worst Case Scenario

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Forty Three: Worst Case Scenario**

It took a while for Claire to decide how she was going to handle this situation, but eventually she figured that Steve was going to end up infected with the T-Veronica Virus no matter what she did. That being the case, the best thing the young woman could think of to do was limit his exposure, so she tossed the syringe against the wall where it shattered into a hundred pieces, and then started shaking the young man by the shoulders in an attempt to wake him up.

"Steve!" She called, trying to pull the giant battle axe away to free him. "Steve, wake up!"

No matter how hard Claire pulled on the axe, the blade was so deeply embedded into the concrete wall of the cell that it wouldn't even budge an inch. With all of her weight, the young woman pulled, struggling to the point where she had her foot braced against the wall, but the giant weapon just wouldn't budge. Maybe with Steve's help the two of them could work it free together, but the young man would have to be awake for that plan to work, so she tried yelling his name again, going so far as to slap him.

"Steve!" The young woman called again, becoming hopeful when his head started to move around. "Wake up, come on, we gotta get out of here before Alexia comes back!"

"Huh… what… Claire?" He asked weakly, his eyes swimming around while struggling to keep them open. "Wh… where am… where am I? What… what happened… I can't… Claire, I can't move!"

The young man was starting to panic as he pulled against all the restraints that held him against the wall like the blindfolded monster had been, and with this panic Steve began to yell a lot louder than he should have. The young woman tried to calm him down, since all of the commotion made it more likely for Alexia to discover that something was wrong, but nothing she did or said was working… oh, good, the young man was finally quieting down, and… oh shit, now he was shaking.

"C… Claire… can't… breathe!" He choked as the shaking worsened into convulsions. "C… Claire… h… help… help… me… _Clairrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr_!"

Although struggling for breath, the young man's final word was surprisingly clear, although drawn out and significantly deeper than his usual voice. Suddenly Steve's shoulder ripped open, causing both him and Claire to scream in fright; her jumping backwards and falling on her rear while more parts of the young man's body began to rip open… sending out splashes of blood while revealing… muscle tissue underneath that was… _green_.

"No." Claire whispered, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "No, please, no… not him."

Still screaming for help while his voice continued to get deeper, Steve's whole body was expanding, both height and mass increasing to the point of tearing his clothes apart like that old _Incredible Hulk_ TV show. Before Claire's mind could even process what was happening, the green skinned young man was more than seven feet tall, with discolored spikes and mutated armor pieces jutting from his torso… and glowing red eyes that watched intently as his clawed hands grabbed onto the axe.

_Crunch_! With a hard pull that sent pieces of concrete spilling onto the floor, the red eyed monster that had once been Steve ripped the giant weapon out of the wall, and now as the terrified young woman scooted backwards across the floor, she briefly wished that she had followed Alexia's instructions. _Pop-pop-pop_! Breaking as if they were made of tin foil, all of the restraints holding the monster's arms and legs to the wall were completely destroyed as it slowly stood up… and then it growled angrily while turning its glowing red eyes toward her.

_Whoosh_! With both clawed hands gripping the handle of the giant axe, the monster growled while swinging the weapon sideways, and if Claire hadn't dropped down flat on her back, the blade would have surely cut her head off. Whether or not the human part of Steve could still be reached in its current state, the young woman needed to get out of that room if she wanted to survive long enough to try, so as soon as the monster turned from swinging the axe, Claire made a run for it.

Scrambling to her feet and sprinting for the door as fast as she could, the young woman didn't look back even though the monster roared as soon as she started moving… and now its thundering footsteps were coming after her. _Thud! Thud! Thud!_ It was a good thing that the door wasn't that far away, or else the monster would have surely overtaken the young woman in only a few more seconds. Thankfully, its mutated body was now far too large to fit through into the corridor, making the monster roar as Claire had to push off the far wall to keep from running right into it, and then she sprinted toward the elevator.

Behind her the monster could be heard screaming in rage as it reached through the doorway with its claws, trying to find a way to squeeze through, before giving up and making the floor vibrate when it started trying to enlarge the opening with its axe. Already the concrete above the doorway was starting to crack by the time that the young woman reached the elevator, with more and more pieces of rubble heard dropping to the floor with each enraged swing of that axe. Even though Claire knew that Alexia was a monster, she couldn't help wondering how anyone could do such a thing to an innocent person… and then the wall was heard collapsing.

"Oh shit!" Claire whispered, repeatedly pushing the _close_ button as the monster roared. "Come on, come on!"

The elevator doors had just started to close when the wall was heard collapsing, allowing the mutated creature to walk out into the corridor… coming closer with each step until the tip of the axe's blade was just starting to become visible. Another growl was heard, becoming muffled when the doors finished closing the rest of the way, and then the young woman sighed with relief as she backed up against the rear wall and slowly sunk to the floor. With her mouth running dry and her breathing labored, Claire tried to tell herself that what had just happened wasn't real… that Alexia's sedatives hadn't worn off and that she was still asleep… yes, she was still asleep and Steve was okay… he was… he was…

Unable to hold them back any longer, the tears started running down the young woman's face as she buried her head in her hands, sobbing as the reality of what was happening to the young man finally dawned on her. Steve was a monster now, she realized as the elevator made its way back up; an infected victim of Umbrella's experiments, with little or no hope of getting him back at this point. Alexia had done this to him… she had purposely taken away the young man's humanity, and now… Claire didn't care how invincible the blonde woman was… she was going to find a way to make the bitch pay for all this.

"Hold it together, Claire." She said to herself, wiping her eyes on one of the sleeves of her dress. "Gotta find a way to escape… gotta get out of here."

Sniffling as she wiped her eyes again, the young woman got to her feet just as the elevator car started to slow down. There was no time for crying even though it was all she wanted to do at this point, especially since Alexia could discover her at any moment, so Claire started moving as soon as the car's door opened… only to be stopped when she walked right into a figure with blond hair… _short _blond hair… along with red and yellow cat-eyes.

Unable to do anything at the moment but stand there and stare at him stupidly, the young woman had been taken completely by surprise at the sudden appearance of Albert Wesker, especially since last she knew he was still on Rockfort Island. However, the blond haired man also seemed just as surprised to encounter _her_ like that, and Claire recovered from the shock first, giving her a brief chance to escape. So she ran for it, pushing past him and sprinting toward the larger machines of the factory… only to come to a sudden stop after a single step when she felt his hand grab onto her hair.

_Wham_! Wesker didn't only stop the young woman, but also tossed her backwards so hard that she flew back into the elevator car, slamming into the back wall before collapsing to the floor. This caused Claire's vision to go black for a second, but once it began to refocus she suddenly found it hard to breathe when the blond man grabbed her by the throat with one hand, lifting her up so that she was eye-level with him… and tightening his grip ever so slightly.

"Well, if it isn't the lovely Claire Redfield." He said, allowing the door to close behind him. "I almost didn't recognize you all cleaned up… and what a pretty dress you're wearing."

Still holding her in place like that, Wesker made a comment about wanting to see what was hidden down beneath the facility, but since the young woman already _knew_, she began to panic, flailing around and trying to break his grip. Unable to speak from lack of air, the only thing Claire could do was desperately try to get away… an effort that was stopped when the blond haired man punched her in the stomach with his free hand.

Allowing her to fall down to the floor of the elevator car once again, Wesker just looked down at the young woman while she coughed and gagged from the blow, only to press his foot down onto her upper back to keep her pinned while he pushed the down button on the elevator's control panel. Claire tried to warn him about the monster that was down there, but instead of listening, the blond haired man simply pressed his foot down harder to the point where she struggled for breath again.

"I just got _humiliated_ in front of my worst enemy, you little brat." Wesker said as they started down. "So, first I'm going to retrieve the T-Veronica sample that Alexia's notes say is hidden down here… and then you and I are going to have a very _long_ and… _intimate_ discussion about what happens to people who disrespect me."


	44. Chapter 44 Our Whole Lives

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Forty Four: Our Whole Lives**

When the challenge of knocking Alexia down was made, Chris had thought that it was going to be easy, especially since the blonde woman had promised not to use her powers. However, the former STARS member quickly learned that this task was going to absolutely _not_ be easy, starting when he found himself being flipped over after making an attempt to grab his opponent. Spinning around completely before landing on his back, Chris got to his feet as soon as she let go of his wrist… and Alexia was just standing there as if patiently waiting for his next move.

"What, you're _surprised_ that I know martial arts?" The blonde woman asked with another cute giggle. "A girl has to know how to defend herself, since you never know when a big, strong… _gorgeous_ man might try to put his hands _all over_ her body. Or are you losing on purpose?"

No matter how attractive Alexia Ashford was… and she _really_ was… Chris needed to knock her down only a single time in order to get Claire back, and that was what he was going to do. Sure, she had some skills, but now that he knew that, the former STARS member was going to even the odds by fighting seriously. Size and reach were his biggest advantages, since the blonde woman was almost the exact same size as his sister, so as long as he kept her from getting a solid grip on him, this was going to…

He had just been reaching for her again, when she suddenly crouched down and kicked his legs out from under him, interrupting Chris's thoughts as he fell to the floor again. Scrambling to his feet, the former STARS member cried out when she tripped him the same way from the other direction… and then again when he tried to lunge at her… and then again when he tried to dive out of the way. All of this made him feel like he was inside that video game that Claire liked back in the early 90's… the one with the yellow ninja and the big guy with four arms… not important, but that was what he felt like when he was tripped to the floor once again.

"Oh come on, Chris, you're not even _trying_." The blonde woman laughed when he slowly got up. "It's almost like you _want_ you and your sister to serve me forever… it's okay if you _do_, by the way… I'd really like that."

Okay, no more playing around, the former STARS member thought, trying to keep control of his temper. If Alexia wanted him to try harder, well then that's what he was going to do, beginning with jumping toward her while swinging his fist. She was able to avoid it while leaning to the side, but Chris landed and attacked with his other fist before she could react, managing to graze her cheek with his knuckle.

Hoping to end this right now, the former STARS member threw out a kick toward her ribs, but the blonde woman stopped this by looping her arm around his ankle. In a single fluid movement, Alexia struck him in the chest with her palm while kicking his other foot out from under him, but still holding onto his other leg so that Chris hit the floor even harder. It was getting harder and harder to keep getting up after each knock down, but this time the blonde woman helped him… by grabbing onto his shirt collar and forcing him backwards.

Off balance and honestly getting worn out from all this effort, the former STARS member was unable to stop her from moving him, stopping only when the back of his legs hit something, and Chris found himself falling backwards, this time onto a small padded chair. Grabbing onto his wrists to restrain him when he tried to fight back, Alexia held him in place while straddling him, and then dropping down so hard onto his lap that he couldn't help groaning in pain.

"It's over, Chris." She said, holding his arms out to the sides so that he couldn't get any leverage. "So you might as well relax… not that I mind you squirming around like that."

"What do you want, Alexia?" He asked while she forced his arms downward so that she could lean closer. "What's the point of all this?"

Instead of answering him with words, the blonde woman suddenly let go of Chris's arms, but before he could do anything at all, she put her hands on the sides of his head, causing the former STARS member to see a bright flash of light before the world around him changed. It was like he was somewhere else, but not really; looking at a scene from his childhood memories in super slow motion while his very young self was having a snowball fight with friends from the old neighborhood… before Claire was born… before his parents died…

"_The point is that I want to know you, Chris_." Alexia's voice echoed while the scene kept moving slowly. "_I want to see and experience everything you've ever done in your life, and in turn I want you to experience mine_."

One after another the scenes before him kept changing, showing him cheating his way through classes in junior high, and then making out with his first girlfriend in a bathroom stall in high school… before he had gotten kicked out, that is. Another scene showed him finally getting his GED, and then getting yelled at by an instructor in Air Force basic training… as well as making out with one of the female instructors, once again inside of a bathroom stall. The mood got dark, however, when the scene changed to show him holding a much younger Claire… while she was crying during their parents' funeral.

_"You put your whole life on hold to take care of your sister." The blonde woman's voice echoed as the scene changed to show him driving a moving truck to Raccoon City. "My Claire-Bear might have been stubborn sometimes, but she loves you and appreciates everything you did for her."_

_"I'll do anything to keep my sister safe, Alexia." His own voice now said as the scene changed again to show him at the police academy. "I'll never give up trying to save her, no matter how powerful you or anyone else is."_

The rest of his life continued to play out like this; joining the RPD, becoming a member of the STARS Alpha Team… the whole nightmare of the Spencer Estate… literally everything he had done up until right now was played out like an old movie, but then… but then another one started. This one began in some kind of laboratory with a young man performing some kind of experiment that was code named Veronica.

"My father wanted to restore our family to its old glory." The blonde woman explained when the scene changed to showing two newborn babies. "To do this he took DNA from Veronica, the first Ashford, and created my brother and I as a result."

Now the scene changed to show a little girl receiving a college degree several years before she should have even been able to go to high school, and then everything changed again to show… something odd. That same girl, a few years older, was angry and yelling at a boy while chasing him with a garden trowel… but the boy was wearing a dress for some reason and looked to be in fear for his life.

_"Although Alfred and I disagreed on many things." Alexia continued as the scene changed to show both of them, now teenagers, standing over a terrified man who was strapped to a table. "We both felt that our father should pay for keeping the secrets of our birth… I don't mind being a science experiment, that part was actually kind of neat, but I can't stand being lied to."_

With a quick image of something horrible chained up in some kind of holding cell, the display continued moving through the blonde woman's life. Her friendship with Tobias Liquid in Raccoon City, her decision to have herself frozen for ten years, not fifteen Alfred, so that the T-Veronica Virus could properly integrate with her body, and finally waking up to find her brother lying dead at her feet.

"You pretty much know the rest." Alexia said as everything went white, bringing him back to the real world. "I took a liking to your sister, and punished her sissy boyfriend for killing my brother… and then I met you while fixing the communication system… fate?"

It took him a minute to recover from the confusion of… whatever the hell she had just done to his mind, but when Chris's vision finally came back into focus, he was back in the main hall of the blonde woman's mansion… sitting in that chair, with Alexia's arms around his neck while she was still straddling him. Her chest was pressed up against his so tightly that he could feel how fast her heart was beating… not that his was going any slower… no, damn it, he shouldn't be attracted to someone like _her_ at all.

Alexia Ashford was a monster, and not just because of her weird infection with the T-Veronica Virus. After seeing her whole life, the former STARS member knew that she was a sadistic murderer whole performed unethical experiments on her best friends _and_ her own family. She also flat out admitted to hurting that young guy in the visions, and who even knew what had been happening to Claire this whole time? No, the right thing to do was push her off and then tear this place apart to find his sister, and that was what he was definitely… well, probably going to do… God damn it, why did this psycho have to be so… so _hot_?

"You really _are_ as good of a man as Claire thinks you are." The blonde woman commented, leaning forward and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "A girl could really _fall_ for you if she's not careful… but in science, being careful doesn't get results."

She smiled at him for a second, and then closed her eyes before kissing him on the lips. For an instant Chris's eyes went wide and he was about to push her away for… a hundred reasons… but you know… kissing her was kind of nice. Was this wrong? Sure. Were there ten thousand reasons for him to reject her? At least that many. But it had been a while since the former STARS member had gotten any female attention at all, and he knew that he was probably going to regret this later, but… but you know what? Fuck it.

Locking his arms around her lower back, Chris closed his eyes and returned the kiss, resulting in her grip on him tightening as well. Part of him had thought that Alexia was simply messing with his mind and pretending to be attracted to him like a lot of female villains on Television, but as their passion increased and he stood up, picking her up with him and then pushing her up against the wall… there was definitely nothing fake happening here.


	45. Chapter 45 Humanity

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Forty Five: Humanity**

"No, you don't understand!" Claire yelled, grabbing onto the edge of the elevator's doorframe. "Steve's down here, we have to…

She had tried to warn Wesker about what was waiting for them for the entire ride back down to the lower levels, but the blond haired man kept either talking over her or hurting her so that she couldn't finish what she was saying. The young woman's last attempt to save herself from going back down there came after the elevator doors opened, when she grabbed onto the doorframe, but Wesker simply grabbed her by the hair and dragged her back out into the corridor… but thankfully the monster wasn't there… where had it gone?

"You are beginning to annoy me, Claire." He said after pushing her into the corner, and slapping her in the mouth. "You're such a pretty little thing, but you really need to talk less… now move."

Not really giving her a choice in the matter, the blond haired man grabbed the young woman by the hair with one hand while twisting one of her wrists behind her back with the other, forcing her to stay right in front of him while they started down the hallway toward the two containment cells. Wesker kept her so close that his body was touching hers, and she was pretty sure that he even took a second to sniff her hair… as uncomfortable as that made her, Claire kept her eyes open for the mutated creature that had once been Steve, but there was still no sign of it, neither sight nor sound.

"There's something I always wanted to know about you, Claire." The blond haired man said, breaking the momentary silence. "Back at the RPD, there were several rumors going around that you slept with your brother's good friend, Joseph Frost, but I could never confirm them. So tell me the truth… were you Frost's whore?"

She didn't like the way he put it, but yes it was true, not that the young woman would ever admit it to him or anyone else. She had just turned eighteen at the time, right before leaving for college, and had been lonely and you know… Joseph had been cute. Yeah, he had been her brother's close friend and coworker, and both of them would have been in a lot of trouble if Chris found out, but that didn't stop her from being with him on the floor of the records room when no one was around.

It was a onetime thing, and honestly no one else's business but hers and Joseph's, or… well, _just_ hers now ever since finding out that he had died last summer during that mission with Chris. Claire also didn't understand why anyone cared about things like that, since Joseph had definitely _not_ been her first, and there had been others after him as well, but apparently Wesker found it amusing, chuckling to himself while saying that he took her silence as confirmation that she was just as big a slut as everyone believed.

By this time they had reached the end of the corridor with no sign of the mutated Steve, so the blond haired man shoved her roughly up against the door to Alexia's freezing chamber face first, needing to let go of her hair in order to use the controls. Once the door slid open, Wesker shoved Claire into the room, letting go so she could fall on her face, and then grabbing the young woman by the hair again because… I don't know, maybe he _liked_ dragging her across the floor every chance he got.

The blond haired man kicked Sir Alfred's body out of the way as soon as they reached it, using enough force to send the dead Commander flying into the nearby wall, and then Wesker started looking around for something. Obviously he was searching for a sample of the T-Veronica Virus, but the only one that had been in this chamber was the one inside Alexia's body, so good luck with that. Of course, this visibly angered the blond haired man to the point where he destroyed a large machine by kicking it.

"Maybe after I find the sample I should repeat Alexia's experiment with _you_." He growled, forcing Claire inside the open container. "What do you think, princess… should I inject you with T-Veronica and then freeze you for fifteen years like the woman you borrowed that dress from? Or should I simply freeze you _now_?"

Backhanding her so that her vision went white for a second as she fell to the floor, by the time Claire was able to both see again and start getting up, Wesker had already turned the lever on the controls, causing the transparent capsule to seal itself shut. All sounds from outside were muffled as the young woman pushed on the sealed hatch, but then she let out a scream of shock and horror when a large scream of extremely cold water began to pour down on her from above.

The whole capsule was made of some kind of transparent plastic that became slippery when wet, so Claire slipped and fell down into the already ankle deep water that was so cold it was painful to the touch. Already shivering with her lips turning blue from the pouring water that she couldn't get away from, and now she was screaming at the top of her lungs, pounding uselessly on the capsule while Wesker was watching the spectacle with an amused look on his face.

Now the water was up to her knees, and Claire's feet were going numb, making it harder to stand until she ended up slipping again, and now it was getting hard to move in general like what happened to people who fell into a freezing lake. The blond haired man continued to watch with delight as the young woman struggled to keep her head above water, but then the amused look faded from his face when something behind her caught his eye… at the same time as she felt the whole room shake.

It took effort even to turn her head to see what was happening, and then Claire gasped when she saw that the muffled commotion was being caused by the mutated Steve destroying the door in order to force its way into the room. Between the pouring water and the capsule's walls, the young woman could barely hear anything as the monster raised the giant axe and rushed forward, grazing part of the capsule while swinging the weapon wildly at where Wesker was standing.

Powerful enough to break through the capsule's material, the blow was allowing some of the freezing water to drain out, but not quite enough to overpower the amount coming in, while the blond haired man jumped around to avoid the monster's attacks. Becoming a blur as he dodged, ducked, and jumped while constantly backing away, Wesker managed to stay just a little bit ahead of the monster as it destroyed countless machines and monitors, thankfully hitting the sides of the capsule a few more times in the process.

Now there was more water draining out than coming in, so the level began to drop back down, soon stopping completely once the amount needed to fill the capsule had been dispensed, but still leaving the young woman sitting in water that was almost knee deep, shivering and feeling more and more numb while the battle outside continued. She could hear more of it now through the breaks created by the axe, and Claire hoped that the two of them would keep each other distracted long enough for her to figure out how to get out of the capsule.

Outside in the lab, Wesker ducked underneath the monster's latest attack, but this time came back up once the weapon passed overhead, and punched the mutated Steve in the mouth so hard that it stumbled backwards. Not letting up, the blond haired man kicked it in the arm so that it let go of the axe with one hand, and then did a blurry backflip so that both of his legs caught the monster in the chin. Again stumbling back but still not falling, the mutated Steve did its best to swing the axe with one hand, but this only made it easier for the blond haired man to avoid.

Dropping down and kicking the monster in the leg as hard as he could, Wesker's attack caused the mutated Steve's leg to bend in the wrong direction, and with an agonized roar the monster finally fell down. The good news was that during the fall the giant axe's blade slammed into the already damaged side of the capsule, allowing Claire and the rest of the freezing water to go spilling onto the floor, but the bad news was that the monster was in trouble. The blond haired man was now slamming both fists into the mutated Steve's face again and again… before stepping over to where the giant axe had fallen.

Claire was powerless to do anything to stop Wesker from slowly raising the giant axe, which should have been too heavy for any one man to lift, and then making the monster roar when the blade was brought right down to where it buried itself deeply into the mutated Steve's chest. In reaction to being hit like this, the monster swung its arm hard enough to send the blond haired man flying across the room where he slammed into one of the remaining machines, and then… and then the monster's body started to change.

Just like what she had seen happen with Alexia, the mutated Steve's skin slowly faded back into its original color, while the armor and spikes fell off, and its whole body shrunk back down in size to where the giant axe slipped out of the gaping hole in its chest. Soon Steve had regained his human form completely, but the gaping hole from the axe's blade remained, and now the young man was bleeding so profusely that there was no way for Claire to stop it, even if most of her body hadn't been to numb still to really do anything.

"Steve?" She asked, looking at how pale he was becoming as the blood ran out. "Steve, hold on… we have to… we have to stop the bleeding."

From how long the young woman had been submerged inside of the freezing water, she was barely able to crawl her way over to where he had fallen, and even though there was a first aid kit on the wall, Claire already knew that it wouldn't be enough to save him even if her legs and fingers were responding enough to reach it. So right now all she managed to do was hold Steve's hand while his condition slowly deteriorated to the point where he was having trouble breathing.

"I'm… I'm glad I met you… Claire." The young man said between labored, rapid breaths. "I'm sorry… sorry I couldn't… protect… Claire… no, Claire… run. Claire get… away… run."

At first she thought that he was becoming delirious from blood loss, but then a shadow fell over them, and the young woman looked behind her just in time to have the fully recovered Wesker's hand clamp down around her throat; lifting her high up into the air, and then using his free hand to take out a pistol from behind his back, which he at first pressed so hard into Claire's stomach that she cried out… but then the blond haired man smirked while aiming it down at Steve instead.

"Look at that, you broke free of T-Veronica, good for you." Wesker said, using his thumb to pull the hammer back. "Unfortunately, you're nothing but a failed experiment, and therefore of no use to me alive… but don't worry, I'll take good care of the lovely little Ms. Redfield for you."

"You… you coward." Steve coughed, spitting up some blood. "Leave her… leave her alone."

"Don't!" Claire choked while the blond haired man pressed the pistol right into the young man's forehead. "Please… please don't… please, I… I beg you, don't!"

_Bang!_


	46. Chapter 46 Ultimatum

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Forty Six: Ultimatum**

A tidal wave of mixed feelings were flowing through Chris's mind as he sat on the edge of the bed, halfway through putting his shirt back on. Thinking clearly now that all the um… _excitement_ was over, and not exactly sure at what point he and Alexia had ended up inside one of the nearby guest bedrooms, the former STARS member had no idea what he was supposed to do next. From seeing the blonde woman's entire life through her mind, Chris knew just what kind of horrors her super-genius mind was capable of inflicting on innocent people, and… and he slept with her anyway.

But the most conflicting part was how much he liked it… how much he was starting to like… _her_ in general. Alexia was beautiful, smart, confident, strong… but she was also a homicidal maniac who had ended the lives of who even knew how many victims during her experiments with the T-Veronica Virus. She had forced Claire into servitude and done something terrible to her friend from Rockfort Island, but… God damn it, why did the enemy here have to be such a desirable _woman_?

"Can't get your shirt back on, handsome?" Alexia asked, walking back out of the closet with a change of clothes for herself. "That's okay, I prefer you without it."

She giggled to herself while putting on another dress that was remarkable similar to the other one, just a different color, and her returned presence was just what the former STARS member needed in order to motivate him to finish getting dressed, himself. Of course, now that the two of them had slept together, Chris was feeling that usual awkwardness that came with a random hookup, which he actually hadn't done in a while. He knew that he needed to say something as the blonde woman walked over to him, so he was coming up with something while getting to his feet, when Alexia stopped him with another kiss.

It was just a short one at first, but then he found his arms slipping around her waist as the passion resumed, ending with a brief but tight hug between them before finally separating. Man, she was a great kisser, and… no… no matter how perfect the blonde woman was, or how much Chris wanted her, she was still guilty of some of the most horrible crimes that the former STARS member had ever witnessed. He had to stop her from hurting anyone else, hopefully by containing her so that he could turn her over to the authorities, but… how in the hell was he supposed to do that?

"Alexia, I want you to stop the T-Veronica experiments." He blurted out, deciding to just be direct. "All they do is hurt people and steal their humanity, like those frozen guys in the snow and Claire's friend, and you could do so much more for humanity with that big brain of yours, like… like when you used those roots to save my sister. Sweetheart, I know you can be a good person, I _feel_ it, but… please just stop these awful experiments, and try to make the world a better place… maybe… maybe we could do that together."

"My _God_, you and Claire are similar." Alexia replied, smiling as she took his hands. "She made that _same_ argument before you got here, but neither of you understands that I am trying to make the world a better place. Chris, look at me, I'm _proof_ that T-Veronica works… there's _ten liters_ of it flowing through my veins, and I must seem at least _partly_ human still, considering how hard you were _shagging_ me a few minutes ago. I just need to… figure out how to do it without freezing each subject for ten years."

Letting go of his hands so that she could put her arms around his waist, the blonde woman leaned her head down against Chris's chest, saying that she knew that her theories were going to bring about a new golden age for humanity, and that she wanted both him _and_ Claire to be with her every step of the way. Attempting to reason with her seemed like the only option for preventing whatever kind of global disaster Alexia would eventually bring about, since he didn't know if there was anything he could do to stop her.

While connected with her mind, one of the things the former STARS member had seen was all of the tests his sister had conducted in an attempt to see how indestructible she was, and the results were pretty conclusive. Since coming out of stasis, Alexia had been beaten, shot, stabbed, burned, strangled, drowned, poisoned, gassed, and exploded… none of which had left even a tiny permanent scratch on her. The blonde woman was invincible, at least as far as Chris was capable of doing in this place, so again… what was he supposed to do?

"I was planning on staying here for a while." Alexia continued, sighing with frustration. "But _Billy Idol's_ little invasion has forced me to move up the timetable, so… we're going to fuel up my private jet, retrieve my Claire-Bear from wherever she's gone, and then we'll all fly out of here together."

Now that they were both dressed, the blonde woman didn't even wait for his reply before taking him by the hand, and leading Chris back out of the guest bedroom. Down the short corridor, and into the main hall, the former STARS member was surprised when upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, Alexia led him not out the only remaining door, but around behind the central staircase where there was nothing but a blank wall. Of course, that was until she rotated the burned out light fixture that was back there for some reason, and part of the wall slid open to reveal a small service lift.

"I know, secret passages and the like are ridiculous." The blonde woman said as they stepped onto the platform. "My grandfather and his friends loved the stuff, that's why it's absolutely _everywhere_, but at least it's a good shortcut to the other port. Personally, I prefer to be more direct and out in the open… like with you."

With the press of a button the wall closed back up, and the lift had only just started moving downward when the two of them started kissing again like a couple of excited teenagers. Staying like this for the entire ride down to what she called the other port, Chris found himself momentarily forgetting about everything else as they kissed and squeezed each other, but even when he had little bursts of remembering the entire situation around him, the former STARS member was caring for Alexia more and more.

If he could only reason with her enough to get her to see the error of her ways… if only the blonde woman would abandon all this stupid Umbrella virus bullshit and just do things that didn't hurt people, then… well… Alexia wasn't actively listed as a wanted criminal, nor had she been active with Umbrella since 1983. Bottom line was that if it was what she really wanted, then the two of them could be together if she would just _stop_. There was a little more bad news to go along with this, too, something that Chris just thought of when the lift came to a stop in a surprisingly well-lit chamber.

The blonde woman was planning to head to the mainland in her jet, and once there she could go anywhere and perform her experiments on anyone she chose, especially if she succeeded in taking control of the Umbrella Corporation. No, if the former STARS member was going to either get through to her or stop her in some way, it had to be while they were still isolated there in Antarctica… where everything was contained.

Stepping off the small platform once it completely stopped, Chris suddenly felt cold when a small gust of frozen wind went through his clothes, making him realize that this chamber was outside. Open and spacious, the walls, ceiling, and floor looked like they had been carved from rocks, giving the place the appearance of a German submarine base from those old _World War Two_ movies. There was even a large submarine docked in the center of the port, making the former STARS member wonder just how filthy rich the Ashford family had been.

"That's odd, I don't remember us actually _having_ a submarine." Alexia said, stopping for a moment to look at it. "Oh well, never cared for the water… come on, the jets are this way."

Walking all the way across the port, and pushing open a small metal door, the blonde woman now led him into a much smaller chamber of the same design. Only instead of being wide enough to hold ships that were bobbing up and down on the water, this place was built more like a rounded missile silo that went up… and up and up into the darkness. This was fixed by Alexia pressing a switch on the nearby wall, causing an alarm to start sounding as bright light began to come from above.

The distant top of the silo was splitting open, slowly retracting on both sides and allowing the wind and snow to begin falling down onto the two of them… as well as the two jets that were now illuminated. Both were of the old _Harrier _aircraft design, built for vertical takeoff and landing, which explained how it was that they were inside the silo in the first place. Not hesitating as if she had done this a hundred times, Alexia pushed another button on the wall, starting up some kind of automated refueling sequence, and Chris knew that he had to stop her right now.

"Alexia, _stop_!" He ordered, pushing the shutoff button and then pushing her against the wall by her shoulders. "I'm not going to let you infect anyone else with that stupid virus… it stops right here, right now, either by you seeing reason, or…

"Or _what_, handsome?" The blonde woman asked with a smirk, reaching over and pushing the start button. "Either I be a good girl and abandon a _lifetime_ of research, or… you'll _kill_ me? More likely I'd just slap you around again, and then we'd end up screwing each other like a couple of wild animals… sound familiar? Or, you can consider the alternative."

Her alternative was that Chris stop being such a _square_, and come with her, since the two of them were obviously perfect for each other. Alexia was already rich on her own, but once Umbrella was hers too, then the kind of life the former STARS member would have would have been like nothing he ever dreamed of. Luxuries of all kinds would be his, and from then on he and Claire would never need to worry about anything again… all at the price of not trying to stop the blonde woman from refining the T-Veronica Virus.

"It could be wonderful, Chris." Alexia continued, not trying to stop him from restraining her. "Your sister gets to be my cute little lab assistant, and you get to be my _eye-candy_… seems like you get the better deal since we'll be sharing a bed as well… maybe I'll have Claire join us in _there_, too."

"What… no." The former STARS member replied, trying to force that image out of his head. "Damn it, Alexia, I _really_ like you, but I can't let you keep hurting people. These kind of experiments are what caused the outbreak in Raccoon City, and I don't care what it takes, or what it costs me… I… will… stop… you."

Please be enough to reach her, Chris thought, knowing damn well that he could never beat her in a fight, but instead of answering him, the blonde woman just stood there. She was staring at him with her eyes slightly widened like she was surprised, leaving him to do the same, since he knew that she could literally roast him alive with a snap of her fingers… please, please, _please_ be enough to reach her.

"I think… I just fell in love with you." Alexia whispered, breathing a little more rapidly. "I won't force you to come with me, and… I'd never hurt you, Chris, but… I'm not giving up my work, so… let's rewrite history."

Before he could do anything, the blonde woman put her hands on both sides like she had done before, causing everything to vanish around them in a flash of light.


	47. Chapter 47 Fever Dream

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Forty Seven: Fever Dream**

_I suppose for you, I mean someone with your life and experiences, you would expect nothing short of an epic final showdown with the bad guy, er… I suppose bad girl is more appropriate in this case. So you'll have it, my love; one last battle with the love of your life… now let's see, we need one fitting of a major Hollywood film, now don't we?_

With a final swing of his sharpened machete, Chris severed the head of the last infected zombie from its body, clearing the path for him to enter the silo where his enemy, the beautiful but deadly Alexia Ashford, was preparing to make her escape. Partially exhausted from the battle that had been required to reach this last room, the former STARS member's bare chest heaved from sustained effort, while the red bandana adorning his forehead was soaked with sweat… but there was no time to rest until she was defeated in one way or another.

"It's over, Alexia!" He loudly declared, pointing the blade at her threateningly. "I've destroyed your army, and stopped T-Veronica from being spread. Now are you gonna come quietly… or do I need to force you?"

"Curses, you handsome devil." The blonde woman wearing glasses and a white lab coat hissed, before rushing into his arms. "It's not fair; no woman can resist _Chris Redfield_, everyone knows that. So take me, you stud… take me right here, like some _tart_ you met at the pub."

_Heh, heh, as sexy as that was, I don't think anyone would believe it, not even you my love. So let's back up just a bit, and revise our conquering hero. Sorry about the look, First Blood was one of the last movies I saw before being frozen, so… let's put you back to factory settings. Now, let me see, hmm… instead of Hollywood action, let's try something a little more intense on a primal level… something from the horror department, perhaps?_

Trying to keep his breath under control, Chris made his way down the smoke filled corridor, struggling to see what was in front of him while the yellow spinning lights along the wall did everything in their power to prevent this. Somewhere off in the distance an alarm was sounding, meaning that the monster had escaped its quarantine… and that it was going to find him sooner rather than later.

With pistol drawn, the former STARS member moved behind abandoned cargo boxes and ducked underneath old machines once the corridor opened up into a wider chamber, not that this weapon had done any good against that creature before. At this point he would have paid any price to have the lights working again, so that he could have at least seen it coming, but the original fight against the abomination had made this impossible. Bullet holes and sparking, broken panels decorated the walls… everyone was dead… killed by that unstoppable thing… but Chris had to find his sister before he could…

Suddenly a noise from across the room stopped his thoughts, causing the former STARS member to duck down behind another silent machine, trying to keep his aim steady while staring, unblinking into the smoke. Then it appeared, the green colored mutated woman who had once been the love of his life; stripped of her humanity, and now an unstoppable killer who had wiped out every living person at the base, including his sister's longtime companion, Steve.

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_ Each shot fired illuminated the surrounding area for a split second, but neither the sudden light nor the bullets slamming into the monster's head did anything to halt its advance. Firing twice more, and then diving out of the way before the mutated woman's clawed arm could grab him, Chris rolled down into the smoke… unable to avoid the next attack… which missed him completely. Growling with frustration as it slashed randomly down into the smoke, each step took the monster farther away as if it was as blinded by the smoke as he was.

No matter what was happening, this was his chance to lose it, so the former STARS member crawled back the way he came, staying down underneath the smoke for the whole way back into the mansion where the elevator to the lower levels was waiting. There was no more smoke in the mansion, but the monster was hopefully still skulking around the factory, so Chris jumped to his feet and ran toward the stairs… just moving around behind them, when the monster's angry roar was heard.

Somehow the abomination had managed to track him there, but although it had not spotted him yet, Chris knew that it would be alerted to his position as soon as he turned the switch. There was no choice, not if he wanted to save his sister and escape, so he turned the light fixture, causing the loud echo of the secret door sliding open. Roaring just as he was stepping inside, the mutated woman was heard stomping her way across the room toward him, while the former STARS member frantically pushed the button.

Of course, it seemed like the door was closing again in slow motion while the monster was even faster once its shadow appeared, and Chris felt chills go up his spine when he was forced to make eye contact with it for a split second before the door closed completely. Finally getting a chance to rest during the long ride down, the former STARS member started moving again as soon as the platform stopped, running across the damaged submarine port…

_Crash_! Something fell down onto the elevator platform from above, destroying it completely, and when Chris stopped to take a brief look back, he gasped in horror when he saw that it was the mutated woman getting to her feet to continue the hunt. _Bang! Bang!_ Firing his last two bullets, and then tossing the pistol in desperation, the monster continued to stalk-hunt him all the way into the silo which was his only escape… but how would he have time to takeoff before the abomination reached him?

_I know what you're thinking, my love, and I agree with you; too much horror and not enough desperate fighting. I mean, you are going to have to remember this for a long time, so why not make it memorable? After all, you're a larger than life hero who has faced Tyrants and traveled halfway around the world to find his sister, so you need something worthy of your abilities, don't you? So, what should we… oh, I know. Have you ever seen that cartoon, The Hobbit?_

Taking another step forward, the monster suddenly roared in agony, putting its mutated hands on its head, as if that last bullet had done the job. But instead of falling down, its body started to twist and jerk, bubbling as if it were filled with boiling water, and then starting to get bigger. Sprouting appendages that resembled wings, and then forming a hardened shell that sort of resembled a dragon, but looked far more insect like, the monster's face was now starting to resemble a bee or maybe an ant… and it was taking off into the air.

Lifting off and immediately spewing orange flame from its mouth as it passed overhead, Chris dive out of the way just before he would have been engulfed by the fiery trail, but now he was unarmed and the dragon-insect thing was slowly circling back for another pass. So what was he supposed to do? Any second now the mutated woman was going to make another attack, and there was only so much time before the former STARS member's strength ran out.

_Looks like I've put you into a pickle, haven't I, my love? What you need is a weapon, and since you're American, you probably want a gun, don't you? A big, flashy one with far more power than could be expected by any rational person, but then again, when was the last time an American was rational? You don't care where it came from or how it got there, you just wanna kill the monster and rescue your sister… so do it._

Diving out of the way again to avoid the next trail of flame, Chris took cover behind a stack of old boxes, hoping to stay out of sight when the monster circled around again, and that's when he realized what it was he was hiding behind. It wasn't a bunch of cargo boxes, it was _munitions_. Opening up every box he could, there were rifles, grenades, ammunition… and then there was the last box… a _big _one that had a bunch of warnings written on _Russian_ on the side.

There was no time to be careful, so the former STARS member popped open the seals and opened the box to reveal… something out of an old science fiction movie. This thing looked like something _Buck Rogers_ would have been carrying around, with its overly elaborate metal frame and barrel opening that looked like a miniature satellite dish. It looked to be fired from the shoulder like a rocket, but there was no ammo lying around for it, although a strange meter on the side of the frame did read 100%... whatever that meant.

Oh well, fuck it, Chris didn't care where it came from or how it got there, he just wanted to kill the monster and rescue his sister. So he waited until the next time the mutated woman was circling around for another pass, and then he jumped out of hiding, knelt down to aim the strange weapon, and pulled the trigger. _ZAP_! This was not the sound that he expected to come from the weapon, but maybe it should have been when a blue streak of what looked like radioactive lightning was discharged from the miniature satellite dish… and then the monster was engulfed in a flash of light.

_BOOM_! There was so much light and force behind the blast that Chris was sent rolling and bouncing backwards across the silo, having seen the strange prototype weapon explode into a thousand pieces at the same time. And then when the light faded, the monster was just gone as if it had never existed in the first place. He had done it, the conquering hero had done it again, but at the cost of the woman he loved. Now he was free to find his sister and escape from this place, but first… just a short rest.

_Good job, Chris. As far as you know, I'm dead, and I'm sorry it came to that, but I need some time to organize things before we can see each other again… and we will… I promise. Take good care of my Claire-Bear, and keep yourself alive as well; I couldn't imagine a world that didn't have you in it, my love. In the back of your mind you'll know I'm still out there, and you'll never love another woman like you love me, so goodbye for now… one day you'll be mine again… I love you, Chris Redfield._

_It's all set… the memories will be permanent in exactly ten seconds. Just relax and let it happen… five seconds. That's my good boy, just accept these thoughts as your own… there… and now… wake up._


	48. Chapter 48 Saving Claire

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Forty Eight: Saving Claire**

Gasping a labored, choking breath as his eyes snapped open, Chris coughed and rolled onto his side, feeling like his head was about to bust open. His whole body ached, reacting slowly and sluggish when he tried to get up to his hands and knees, failing once or twice to do so, and then finally having his success rewarded with vomiting up everything that was in his stomach. The former STARS member tried to stand, but the whole world seemed to tilt sideways, resulting with a kind of awkward sideways stumble that ended with him falling on a different part of the floor.

Disoriented and confused, he tried to remember where he was and what had happened, eventually discovering that he was still inside of the silo where he had talked to Alexia… no, wait… had they fought? Yeah, it was all slowly coming back to him now; the blonde woman had mutated and tried to kill him, forcing Chris to eventually destroy her completely with that strange weapon he had found. Where was it? Oh, that's right, it exploded along with her, and… and apparently one of the jets, because now there was only one parked there.

"Alexia!" He yelled, realizing what he had done. "No! Please don't be gone… please still be here, please!"

This sudden surge of adrenaline allowed the former STARS member to start crawling his way around the silo, albeit still slow and sluggish, desperately searching for the woman he loved. Wait, did he love her? Did he? Yes, he had to, since he remembered feeling that during their battle… the blonde woman was the love of his life and he knew he would never love anyone else after being with her, so she had to survive… she just _had_ to. Hoping that maybe Alexia had been reverted to her human form and simply knocked from the air, Chris searched every inch of the place, but she was gone… gone.

"I'm sorry, Alexia." He whispered as a tear ran down his cheek. "Oh God… I killed her."

Suddenly these thoughts were interrupted by a loud noise from beyond the door, back in the submarine port, sounding like someone was using equipment out there to move something around… could it be Alexia? Still a bit dizzy as he dragged himself to his feet, Chris stumbled a little while making his way over to the door, and then opening it to see not the blonde woman, but about a half dozen armed men in black riot armor. Like on Rockfort Island, the letters HCF were on the front of their tactical vests, and now they were using forklifts to move sealed boxes over to the still waiting submarine.

There was some smaller stuff being loaded onto the boat as well, including the body of a naked young man who looked like he had been shot in the head. The armed men were putting him inside of metal box that sealed itself with an electronic lock once closed, and then the whole thing was labeled on the side with a tag that read: _SUBJECT V-003 BURNSIDE, STEVEN_. Looks like Wesker's people were cleaning house now that Alexia was gone, but thankfully the man himself wasn't around, meaning that Chris could probably sneak past…

"Hurry it up, we're leaving." A deep and monotone voice ordered. "And put _this_ in my quarters."

Easily spotting Wesker as he walked into the port, Chris noticed that he was carrying something as well… wait, it was _someone_ who was slung over his shoulder, a young woman with auburn hair fallen down over her face and wearing a green dress… with her wrists handcuffed behind her back. As he gave these orders, the blond haired man dropped his prisoner on the ground roughly like she was a sack of potatoes. She was alive, and trying to move around enough to sit up, but it wasn't until Wesker backhanded her back to the floor that the young woman's face came into view.

Holy shit, it was _Claire_… her clothes were torn, and there were bruises forming on the visible parts of her skin as if someone had beat the hell out of her. Once she was down again, a couple of the HCF men came forward to take her into custody, and the former STARS member knew that if they got her on that submarine, then he would probably never see his sister again. They were about to take her away, and he had no weapons, nor anyone to back him up… aw crap, there was no choice but to do something stupid.

There was no time for being stealthy, so Chris ran through the door, sprinting toward the nearest HCF man, and tackling him to the ground. Giving him no time to react, the former STARS member pulled the knife from the man's boot and stabbed it into his throat, allowing him to take the man's rifle and fire a warning shot that sparked against the submarine's hull. Immediately everyone reacted, with the rest of the armed men taking cover so that they could aim their own rifles, while Wesker simply picked up Claire with one hand by the back of the neck, holding her up in front of himself like a shield.

"Well hello, Chris… still alive?" The blond haired man laughed a little. "Tell me, what exactly is your plan here, hmm? Planning to take on a half dozen armed men _and_ me by yourself, just to save pretty little Claire? Someone shoot this idiot."

_Kakka-kakka-kakka_! Suddenly gunfire erupted from everywhere at once, forcing Chris to dive for cover behind the reinforced base a large metal jib-crane. All around him bullets were sparking against the frame, or making him jump a little when they impacted the ground nearby, but thankfully so far he hadn't been hit. After a few seconds the gunfire stopped, meaning that all of the armed men were reloading, and now the former STARS member had a chance to fight back… meaning that these guys were about to face the greatest marksman in the RPD.

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_ Changing the rifle to semi-automatic, and aiming carefully, Chris pulled the trigger, aimed again, and pulled, repeating this process several times with each one making one of the armed men fall down. Starting to panic and firing wildly back at him once the remaining men had reloaded, the former STARS member crouched down a little lower, taking his time and breathing before shooting one of them in the stomach, and the last one right in the facemask. So yeah, Wesker, he _was_ going to take on a half dozen… hey wait a second, where _was_ he?

Through the rifle's low-power scope, Chris could see that his sister was lying on the ground right where she had been a hostage before, but there was no sign of Wesker… until he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. Before he could aim the rifle, the blond haired man was on him, backhanding the former STARS member to the floor, and then tossing the rifle away. Still in possession of the stolen knife, Chris tried to stab upward with it, only to be stopped after taking Wesker's boot to the chest.

Lifted off the ground, the knife flew off at some point while he was rolling and bouncing across the terrain, and now as the trip came to a stop, he could hear the blond haired man laughing to himself while walking closer. Without Alexia there, Chris was the only one capable of saving Claire, so he had to keep fighting… reaching over and picking up the metal bar of a nearby industrial jack-stand, before getting to his feet.

"Let Claire go, Wesker." The former STARS member ordered, trying to catch his breath. "I'm the one you want… or can't you handle a fight without taking hostages or backstabbing?"

"Oh, but I've become so _attached_ to your sweet little sister." Wesker replied, still advancing regardless of the weapon. "See, while you were playing with Alexia, Claire and I have been getting better acquainted, and don't take this the wrong way, Chris… but if I had to choose between the two of you, I'd rather have _her_."

Chris didn't want to even start to think about what his former comrade had been doing to Claire, so instead he just saw red, focusing all of his anger and hatred toward the man who had gotten his friends killed at the Spencer Estate into a powerful swing of the metal bar… which Wesker easily caught in his hand. Knocking the bar from his grip, the blond haired man punched Chris in the stomach hard enough to make him fall to his hands and knees, before kicking him in the rear so hard that he slid all the way back up against the base of the jib-crane.

"I don't know _where_ you get your confidence, Chris." Wesker said, slowly walking toward him. "You're a pretty good shot, I'll give you that, but you couldn't fight your way out of a wet paper…

_Screech_! Suddenly the blond haired man's words were interrupted by the sound of metal on metal, making him stop and look upward just in time for a full load of industrial I-Beams to come falling down from the crane's mouth. He avoided the first one, but then the second beam landed hard on his shoulder, followed by the third striking him in the head and chest… knocking Wesker down so that the rest of them could add to the pile. At first the former STARS member didn't understand how the beams got released, but then he saw his sister slumped over the manual release lever… she had saved him.

"Claire!" Chris exclaimed, running over to her, and getting her off the lever. "Claire, are you all right?"

"C… Chris?" She whispered weakly, struggling to open her eyes. "Chris, you… you found me."

Then she was out, losing consciousness in his arms, but still breathing. Okay, it was time to get the hell out of there, so the former STARS member picked her up in his arms and started limping his way toward the silo, only to gasp and jump when the pile of I-beams moved. Wesker was still alive down there, snarling with rage as he slowly attempted to shift the pile, but the impact must have hurt him a lot, because it just wasn't happening. God, Chris wished that he had a weapon in order to finish him off, but getting Claire to safety was more important, so he simply continued on his way.

"I'll find you, Chris!" The blond haired man yelled, attempting to shift the pile again. "I don't care how long it takes, I'm going to make you pay for this! Do you hear me, Redfield, you and everyone you love are going to pay!"


	49. Chapter 49 The Rightful Queen

**Code Veronica: Resident Evil IIIS**

**Chapter Forty Nine: The Rightful Queen**

"And this, right here Sir, is the last known appearance." The reporting executive said while the video of a jet taking off from a hidden silo played on the screen. "In the week since this video was recorded, there has been no sign of Chris Redfield or his sister by any of our branch offices."

With that the video ended, causing the lights of the board room to come on as the projector screen rolled itself up into the wall… and the white-haired President of the Umbrella Corporation was not happy. Thanks to Redfield and a bunch of pain in the ass _do-gooders_ like him, the company was losing millions of dollars a month, and now to make matters worse there were a bunch of upstart groups who were trying to swoop in a steal priceless research in all the chaos.

"Do we at least know where this… HCF group came from?" The President asked, looking around the table at all of the others. "Middle Eastern Terrorists? A bunch of _Earth First_ hippies? Fucking _Tricell_? I swear to God, someone better start telling me _something_ real God damn fast, or I'm gonna do to each one of you, the same thing this Redfield _dick-sucker_ has been doing to this company!"

Yes, an accident during research had started The Cannibal Murders back in _poor little_ Raccoon City, and then infighting within different divisions of Umbrella's local offices had indirectly caused the T-Virus outbreak itself, but honestly who gave a _shit_ about the lives of a few worthless people in a city no one had even _heard_ of before the outbreak, huh? Now this Redfield shithead and his little buddies were causing trouble, mostly in the form of locating classified facilities and then just wrecking everything like _hooligans_ during the final game of the _World Cup_.

"I want the reward _doubled_ on Redfield's head, and the previous amount put on that sister of his." The white haired man said, still gritting his teeth. "I want them to be hunted wherever they go; no food, no rest, no safe haven… I'm talking so much money that their own grandmother would turn them in, and then we're gonna make an _example_ of Chris. We're gonna _invent_ new ways to cause him pain, and then I'm gonna keep his sister as my personal _pet_… then when the rest of the rabble calms down, maybe we can finally get this company back on track."

"Back on track?" A new voice asked from toward the door. "That's a laugh, since _your_ leadership is causing the company to explode like the Challenger space shuttle."

Who would have the _balls_ to speak to the President of Umbrella that way, the white haired man wondered as he looked toward the sound? He had already known that it was a woman from the voice, but he had not expected to see a young and beautiful one with long blonde hair and wearing a formal dress. The brunette secretary behind the intruder started to apologize, saying that she had tried to stop the interruption, but then the blonde woman shushed her softly, patting the secretary on the head and telling her to return to her desk like a good girl.

"Who the hell are you?" One of the others at the table demanded, turning a little red in the face. "This company is facing an economic crisis, and we don't have time for some random… _bimbo_ to waltz in here and interrupt our…

With a snap of the intruder's fingers, the executive's words became a scream of agony and fear as his whole body was engulfed in flames that had just… _appeared_ out of nowhere. Everyone around him screamed and jumped out of their chairs to get away, while the burning man tried to run away as if that would help him somehow. Unfortunately for him, he only got a couple steps before falling onto the tile floor, and then the flames went out, revealing that there was nothing left of him but ash.

"Please don't call me a _bimbo_… it's rude." The intruder requested calmly as everyone cowered in fear. "Now, allow me to introduce myself; Lady Alexia Ashford MD. PhD., and since I don't see any of the Spencer's or Marcus's at this table, I've come to see if anything can be salvaged from _my_ family's company."

Alexia Ashford, the President wondered as she spoke? That was impossible; the Ashford girl vanished back in the 80's, and even if it _was_ her standing in front of the board of directors at Umbrella world headquarters, she would have been like… _forty_ now, not a young thing in her twenties. He wanted to call security right away, but even if she was an imposter, that fire trick had the white haired man pretty spooked.

"What you _should _be focusing on right now is public relations." The intruder said, beginning to slowly pace around the room in a circle. "I've seen the Raccoon City disaster through the eyes of my best friend, who was _there_, and people are scared… of _Umbrella_. I would have _expected_ all of you to be in here finding ways to restore faith; you know, compensating survivors, donating essential products for relief, God damn humanitarian aid, something to get the authorities to go bother someone else. So what's the problem?"

"Stock prices are falling too fast for humanitarian aid." The President answered, somewhat nervously. "What we need to do is take out the ones all these _bleeding-hearts_ are rallying behind, and in the meantime consolidate our remaining resources to new locations. Here, our Vice-President can explain the whole plan to you."

"Uh, yes, right." The man to his left added, pushing his glasses up higher. "While we make a very public, but _untraceable_, example of the Redfields to deter their supporters, there is a plan in place to begin using civilian cruise ships to transport our most valuable materials to…

With another snap of her fingers, the Vice-President went up in flames as well, causing everyone including the president to scream and scramble toward the other side of the room. Like the other executive, this one tried to get away, but only succeeded in tripping over his chair before it was all over. Suddenly the room's sprinkler system came on, instantly soaking the people and furniture, while causing Alexia to actually laugh for a moment.

"Oh, that was perfect." She chuckled, pushing her wet hair behind her ear. "Your little _boat_ plan is interesting, but let me be clear about something. I suggest that you call off the bounties on the Redfields, because if _anyone _affiliated with this company makes a move on Chris, or hurts my Claire-Bear in _any_ way… well, look at what's left of your friends. No, better yet, I want your replacements to see that maybe the punishments _won't_ be over quickly."

"What's a… _Claire-Bear_?" One of the others asked while she took a small vial out of her purse. "And what replacements? What's she talking about?"

"Yes, I agree, Ms. Ashford." The President said, trying to hide his nervousness while the intruder rolled the vial in her fingers. "What is this all _really_ about?"

"_Lady_ Ashford." Alexia corrected. "And it's about me using this sample of _T-Veronica_ to motivate your replacements to do a better job than you did. But if not… Umbrella isn't the _only_ corporation my family controls. Now please try to breathe normally."

With that, the intruder smashed the vial on the floor, splattering the bluish colored liquid, and causing some barely visible vapors to fill the air. With a snap of her fingers, the blonde woman produced a wall of fire that prevented anyone from leaving, and then while the executives panicked, Alexia took a small tape recorder out of her purse.


End file.
